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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532607">Playing House</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireSoul/pseuds/FireSoul'>FireSoul</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Regression/De-Aging, F/M, Magic, Plot is more of a background thing here, spells</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:47:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>63,158</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireSoul/pseuds/FireSoul</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On a rescue mission gone sideways the majority of the Legends' team is magically transformed into kids, with the exceptions of Sara and a newly returned Leonard. Now the two remaining adults have to not only hunt down their escaped sorceress, but also try to keep from killing each other, as well as handle a team that is piece by piece forgetting who they are. They have plenty of motivation, at least, since the last thing they want is to be stuck co-parenting forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sara Lance/Leonard Snart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>169</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sara pinches the bridge of her nose and lets out a sigh.</p>
<p>“We could use a little help out here boss!” Mick’s voice roars over the comms, over the sound of his gun being discharged in his hand.</p>
<p>“I’m on my way.” She doesn’t answer with urgency, even if the mission is going to hell out there and she’s already walking briskly towards her room to grab her suit and head out. “But I want to point out you <em>wouldn’t </em>need help if Leonard had stuck to the plan.”</p>
<p>“Captain, when have you ever known me to stick to the plan?”</p>
<p>Sara rolls her eyes, but doesn’t dignify that with a response.</p>
<p>Leonard was returned to them not long after the Crisis. What was interesting about his return was that he wasn’t like their other resurrected allies, who like the rest of the world only had knowledge of the new timeline. He remembers the old timeline, and the old timeline only. Apparently he was never really dead, but rather suspended in the time stream and when they reset everything he was launched out of it, landing in present-day Central City. When they got the call from Team Flash Sara had felt her heart stop in her chest. When they went to pick him up she had felt much the same.</p>
<p>She had also had Ava by her side.</p>
<p>That was months ago, and for reasons that aren’t entirely related to Leonard – but also not entirely unrelated either, if she’s being honest – Ava and her have since broken up. She and Leonard had been quiet around each other before the break up, awkward and avoiding one-another. She had hoped that with Ava gone she might at least be able to find a silver lining in Leonard feeling comfortable being in the same room as her again.</p>
<p>That is not what happened.</p>
<p>They sort of got along for maybe a week, and then the fighting started.</p>
<p>They haven’t had any sort of major blow out. It’s been a series of little things; snide comments, judging remarks, little things to get under one another’s skin in the worst ways possible.</p>
<p>Now dressed in her full White Canary garb Sara grabs her batons and rushes off the ship, shoving her issues with Leonard to the back of her mind and trying to remember that despite it all he has still shown to watch out for her in the field, and she’ll do the same for him.</p>
<p>At the very least, she’ll do it because he’s her teammate and she has to.</p>
<p>They’re in Central City 2020, hunting down their latest encore, who they don’t know anything about aside from the fact that she has magic because the moment John saw her and cursed under his breath she put some kind of silencing spell on him.</p>
<p>The only thing they do know about this witch, or whatever she is, is that her plans somehow involved five kidnapped children. Once they hunted her down to a house here in Central they contacted Team Flash and the original plan was for Barry to run the kids out, but soon as he got into the house he reported all five of them catatonic, and then his comm went dead. The Legends and Ralph were already nearby and prepared to deal with the witch, and when Barry never came out Sara ordered them to fall back.</p>
<p>Instead, Leonard stormed in full force.</p>
<p>Obviously, from there, the rest of the team had no choice but to follow him.</p>
<p>Sara is still grumbling and thinking about the stupidity of that decision as she comes up on the house where the fight is taking place, and right as she gets there she hears a shout of something she can’t quite make out, and then there is a puff of smoke exploding over the other side of the fence that hides the backyard.</p>
<p>Crap.</p>
<p>She runs inside the house, planning to bolt straight through, but she nearly runs smack into an opening door.</p>
<p>She stops short, and finds Leonard starring at her. The door obviously leads to a basement, and that can’t mean anything good.</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” He answers her, looking far too worried for her liking. “Scarlet is in a coma down there, me and the human wad of bubble gum were trying to wake up him and the kids, then we heard an explosion.”</p>
<p>In her mind, Sara snaps that he should damn well know what the explosion was, because the only reason it happened was because he decided to forgo the plan and put everyone in danger. He should’ve at least had the courtesy to be in the battle to deal with it.</p>
<p>But she doesn’t say that aloud, as she has more pressing matters to attend to; like finding out what the explosion was.</p>
<p>She pushes past him, running for the back door of the house and he’s on her heels. She throws the door open, and whoever the team was fighting is gone. At first it looks like the team is gone too, but then Sara looks closer at the kids in the yard.</p>
<p>Oh fuck.</p>
<p>There are three teenagers in the yard. One she’s seen before, way back years ago when they were trying to get their younger selves before The Pilgrim did. The other two are physically similar enough to their adult forms that Sara can recognize them as Zari and Nate.</p>
<p>The next two she sees are kid-kids. Elementary aged. One a little boy with a mess of scraggly blonde hair hanging down in his eyes, and the other a little girl with an overwhelming amount of curls she is currently trying to push out of her face.</p>
<p>“Oi, wad ‘apponed?” The girl nearly screeches out, her voice high and words all slurred together with her young age.</p>
<p>The boy opens his mouth, says nothing, makes a fist, and then before he can do anything with that fist a crying sounds out from the bushes along the fence and Sara just knows what it is.</p>
<p>The three teenagers turn in the direction of the sound, Zari being the first to move. She jogs towards the bushes, and faintly Sara is aware of Leonard’s presence behind her and watching the whole mess unfold, but she can’t be bothered to think about that. Not when she’s watching a teenage Zari go into the bushes, and come out with a baby dressed in a Hawaiian print shirt held to her chest.</p><hr/>
<p>They get the help of the rest of Team Flash to move the five comatose kids to the hospital and Barry to S.T.A.R. Labs, and while Cisco and Frost work of solving that mystery the de-aged Legends all get checked up by Gideon in the med-bay of the Waverider.</p>
<p>The first to go into the med-chair is Nate, as he is calm enough to sit still and let Gideon do her thing (unlike Behrad) and patient enough to keep from demanding answers they may not have yet (unlike everyone else).</p>
<p>“According to my scan’s, Dr. Heywood is physiologically fifteen years old.”</p>
<p>Sara rolls her eyes, great. “Any idea how long he’ll stay that way.”</p>
<p>“Inconclusive Captain, sorry.”</p>
<p>She huffs, and looks to Nate.</p>
<p>He looks less like his adult self than Zari does, but more than Mick does. The biggest difference is he’s skinner, lanky, like he hasn’t grown into his body yet. His hair is shorter too, not quite buzzed but nowhere near long enough for his signature swoosh or whatever he calls it.</p>
<p>“Well.” She says, and she can’t think of anything to say beyond that. “Do you know what did this?”</p>
<p>He shrugs, “The witch-”</p>
<p>He stops, both of them wincing a bit, because his voice may as well have just cracked in half. He clears his throat, and Sara isn’t going to point out the shade of red in his cheeks.</p>
<p>“She used some kind of spell.” Sara nods, even if she could’ve figured that much out.</p>
<p>“I’ll ask John about it.” She says, “With any luck he’ll be able to undo it.”</p>
<p>“That might be a problem.” It’s Leonard’s drawling voice that speaks up, bringing Sara’s attention over to the doorway where he has mini John Constantine walking ahead of him with his face set in a scowl.</p>
<p>Like the others, John’s clothes shrunk with him. On the practical side of things that is fortunate, but it also makes it hard to keep from laughing at the sight of a little boy dressed in a loose tie and a trench coat.</p>
<p>“Why is that?” She asks, and she looks down at John, who hold his palms up flat and moves them out sideways from his body before making a series of other strange symbols with his hands.</p>
<p>Sara raises any eyebrow, and looks up to Leonard who huffs with his arms crossed.</p>
<p>“He can’t talk.” He says, something close to pity in his voice. “I’m guessing the whole turning the team into kids spell didn’t cancel out the silencer she had on him.”</p>
<p>At his words John begins nodding aggressively, pointing to Leonard as though for emphasis.</p>
<p>“Great.” Sara huffs, looking down at John again. “I don’t suppose Gary can undo this spell?”</p>
<p>John shakes his head, and then he marches over to the unoccupied chair in the room and climbs up. He stands up on the seat and reaches onto one of the shelves behind it, pulling down a tablet they keep in the med-bay for monitoring purposes. Once he has the tablet he sits back down and begins typing out something.</p>
<p>Sara moves to stand over his shoulder, peering at the words as he types them.</p>
<p>
  <em>Gary isn’t advanced enough for this. The “witch” is Morgan le Fay, a powerful sorceress. If I had my voice I could try preforming the spell, but she likely put a lock on it so she would be the only one who could undo it.</em>
</p>
<p>As Sara finishes reading the paragraph Gideon’s blue scanning light begins roaming over John, to which the little boy looks up indignantly, but at least he doesn’t move.</p>
<p>“According to my scans Captain, Mr. Constantine has been aged down to the eight-years-old.”</p>
<p>She nods, and then John starts typing something else out on the tablet.</p>
<p>
  <em>Need to fix this soon. Potion I gave you and Ava was temporary for a reason. Spell like this puts a lot of stress on the body if left unchecked. Side effects are a lot like time drift.</em>
</p>
<p>She reads the words aloud, quietly, but loud enough to be heard.</p>
<p>“So what he’s saying is, they’re stuck like this?” Leonard asks, and Sara fixes him with a glare.</p>
<p>“That seems to be the consensus. Read it for yourself if you need to.” She replies flippantly, gently taking the tablet from John and passing it over to Leonard.</p>
<p>She is aware of John’s raised eyebrow and Leonard’s irritated scowl as he takes the tablet, but neither of them says anything, and so Sara refocuses on John.</p>
<p>“What about Nora?” She asks, “If there isn’t a lock on the spell, could she undo it?”</p>
<p>John shrugs, and Sara decides even an uncertain answer means it’ll be worth a shot.</p>
<p>“I’ll give her a call. Leonard.” She says, turning for the former thief, who looks up from the tablet. “Since you were so invested in Barry’s wellbeing you blew the mission, why don’t you go into S.T.A.R. Labs and see if they’ve gotten anywhere with the coma patients?”</p>
<p>Leonard frowns, and he looks almost like he is going to say something, something hurtful, but instead he simply hands Constantine back the tablet and then files out the door, leaving Sara there with Nate and John watching between the two of them.</p><hr/>
<p>As it turns out, team Flash has gotten somewhere with the coma patients. They’ve all woken up. Barry as well as the kids in the hospital; all of them within an hour of being brought back.</p>
<p>It should be a good thing, Leonard knows. It is a good thing, on some levels.</p>
<p>Those, however, are not the levels he is concerned with.</p>
<p>“So basically, you have nothing helpful.” It is a question, but Leonard says it more than he asks it. The answer has just been told to him, in the form of his discovering Barry awake and Frost reporting that he woke up on his own.</p>
<p>Speaking of the ice-queen who is seeming less than icy these days, personality wise that is, she’s shaking her head and handing him a manila folder of papers.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” She says, “His brain waves were giving off signals similar to dreaming while we were monitoring him, so it wasn’t a coma.”</p>
<p>He raises an eyebrow to her, “We couldn’t get him up.” He says, “Or the kids. They wouldn’t respond to <em>anything.”</em></p>
<p>Frost shrugs, evidently not overly concerned with this fact. He supposes she doesn’t have much reason to be, considering Barry and all five kids are awake now and all reportedly fine.</p>
<p>“I’m not a witch.” She says, “I don’t know much about magic. Maybe your encore was able to keep them under her spell so long as they were in the house, but once you moved them their brains were able to function normally again?”</p>
<p>He presses his mouth into a thin line, considering that. He doesn’t know shit about magic either, but he knows you can put spells like that over buildings. Maybe that is what happened, which would mean they’re back to square one.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” He says holding up the file, and then he turns to report back to the ship, not looking forward to letting Sara know they’ve got nothing.</p><hr/>
<p>“Yeah.” Nora grimaces, shaking out her hand as the magic bounces uselessly off of John and then dissipates into nothingness. “She definitely locked the spell.”</p>
<p>On some level, Sara knew that was going to be the answer. Still she looks around at the others, all either standing or sitting somewhere around the bridge and looking every bit as disappointed as John.</p>
<p>“I don’t suppose she left the silencing spell unlocked?” She asks, and Nora’s expression is anything but confident, but she still sets her sights on John for a second time.</p>
<p>“Ne loquamini loquentes.” She says, sending a blue wave of magic out with her words, but that bounces as well. She growls, and looks back to Sara, not that Sara didn’t just see the answer for herself. “No, sorry.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, “Do you know anything about her?”</p>
<p>“Morgan le Fay?” Nora asks with a furrowed brow, folding her arms. “My father would tell me stories when I was a kid, sometimes he’d mention her. She was an apprentice to Merlin but according to the stories they had a falling out after she tried to kill King Arthur. She disappeared after that.”</p>
<p>It isn’t much, but it is still the most promising lead they’ve gotten all day.</p>
<p>“We know Merlin, we’ll make a jump and see if there’s anything she can tell us.”</p>
<p>Nora’s expression more than mildly impressed and surprised. Under ordinary circumstances Sara might be a little smug about it, but unfortunately these are not normal circumstances and Behrad takes to crying right at that moment.</p>
<p>Zari stands up with him, rocking him and whispering to try and keep him calm. Sara does her best to ignore the sounds, but it does bring forth a very important question.</p>
<p>“John wrote something down about this spell having side effects similar to time drift?”</p>
<p>Nora nods, her hands on her hips and one eye focused nervously on Behrad and Zari.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She says, “Human brains aren’t fully developed until the age of twenty-five, so when a person is magically aged back to an age before twenty-five, their brain will start feeling the effects after anywhere from a few days to a week and it’ll revert to the same stage the body is at.”</p>
<p>Sara looks over to her team, who all look some extent of terrified. Behrad is still crying, but even he is quieting, like he is trying to show that he still understands. John looks the least afraid, likely because this isn’t news to him. But Sara knows him, and she knows he rarely lets on to how scared he really is.</p>
<p>“The more drastic the change, the quicker the mind will revert.” Nora continues, “So, most likely, Behrad will be first. After that it’ll be John and Charlie. Mick, Zari, and Nate, since you guys are teenagers you probably have close to a month before you start to forget your adult lives.”</p>
<p>“Eye wool Morga turd uths awl ‘iffern achis?” Charlie asks, or Sara thinks it’s a question anyway; Charlie’s accent isn’t doing her any favors now that it’s combined with the vocal pitch of a child.</p>
<p>“Uh…” Nora stammers, “Why would she turn you different ages?”</p>
<p>Charlie nods, and Sara sees the relief in Nora’s eyes. “I don’t know. It could’ve just been that she was casting the spell in a hurry, it sounds like you guys had her outnumbered.”<br/>
Before anything else can be asked there is the sound of footsteps coming towards the bridge, and soon Leonard enters through the doorway with a file of some kind clutched loosely in his hand.</p>
<p>“What’s the verdict?” He asks, and Sara crosses her arms.</p>
<p>“We’re taking a trip to Camelot.” She says, “Any luck on your end?”</p>
<p>He shakes his head, much to her disappointment.</p>
<p>“Barry and the kids all woke up on their own. Frost is thinking there was a spell on the house to make sure they stayed under so long as they were there, but we still don’t know <em>why </em>they were there.”</p>
<p>As she takes the file from him he looks around at the team all staring either back at him or at each other, and all very obviously not adults.</p>
<p>“No luck on breaking the spell?”</p>
<p>“Does it look like we had luck with that?” She snorts, flipping through the file, which tells her nothing. “John was right, Morgan locked it. She’s going to have to be the one to undo it.”</p>
<p>There’s a moment of quiet, one during which she keeps her eyes on the useless papers in her hands. It’s better than looking at Leonard, Nora, or the team. She knows they are all watching her, waiting to see how she’ll react to whatever Leonard says next.</p>
<p>“And you think we’re going to find her Camelot?”</p>
<p>He sounds suspicious, doubtful even, but she simply shrugs and hands him back the file.</p>
<p>“Her, or the next best thing.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So Camelot is real?”</p>
<p>It isn’t the first question Leonard has, but it does seem to be the baseline of all the others. He has been well aware for a while now that he missed things while he was suspended in time, important things, and more missions than what he’s been filled in on. With all the magic that seems to be a part of the Legends’ world now maybe he’s a little more surprised by the existence of Camelot than he ought to be, or maybe it’s Sara’s confidence walking in that has him on edge. It’s more allies he doesn’t know about. Another piece of the puzzle of what he’s missed that he didn’t know was there, and he hates not knowing.</p>
<p>“Yep.” Sara answers simply, continuing to lead the way through the dense and damp forest, without so much as a glance to him. “Camelot, King Arthur, the whole crew.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t Haircut say something about a knight after last time?”</p>
<p>It almost disturbs Leonard that the use of the term “Haircut” is the only reason he knows which of his teammates has spoken, and it disturbs him even more that he still glances over his shoulder, his eyes landing on a version of Mick that talks a touch faster and is far more expressive in the face.</p>
<p>Mick glares back at him, like he is daring him to say something. It isn’t a dare that Leonard takes.</p>
<p>“Yeah, himself.” Heywood sounds off, with an air of annoyance in his tone. “He got knighted last time we were here.”</p>
<p>“Oul fo hin.”</p>
<p>The entire group slows, nearly stops, all of them looking at Charlie who simply blinks up at them.</p>
<p>“Hhat?”</p>
<p>They all look at each other, each silently wondering who is going to be the one to say it.</p>
<p>“Charlie, Morgan didn’t put some kind of gibberish spell on you? Right?” Nate finally asks, and Charlie’s eyes bug out as she looks up at all of them.</p>
<p>“Nao.” She says, and it’s garbled like everything else, but still by far the clearest thing she’s said since this whole mess started.</p>
<p>“Hopefully Merlin can fix this.” Sara says, and she starts them on their path again.</p>
<p>They walk another half hour or so, the only sound being that of leaves and sticks crunching beneath their feet. It’s unsettling. The Legends Leonard remembers never seemed able to keep their mouths shut on missions, and this barely even qualifies as such. Not to mention, from what he’s observed, these Legends are even less subtle than the china shop bulls he signed on with. They should be spewing nerd facts or arguing over whose turn it is to do the dishes tonight. But none of them want to talk. Hell, some of them <em>can’t</em>. He glances back over his shoulder, catching sight of John nearly tripping over a fallen branch and then continuing on as though the stumble never happened. Leonard averts his eyes, before the now-young warlock can see his expression of pity. When he turns his focus back to the path he notices Sara has stopped, so he does the same.</p>
<p>“What is it?” He asks, their team coming to a halt behind them.</p>
<p>“We’re getting closer.” Sara murmurs in return, and she starts walking again, but slower, and so Leonard follows the example.</p>
<p>It isn’t long before Sara stops completely, and when she does a horse steps out from behind a grove of trees up on a nearby hill, ridden by a knight.</p>
<p>A knight without a helmet.</p>
<p>The lack of helmet reveals not only that the knight is a woman, but also her thoroughly confused and utterly non-threatened expression.</p>
<p>Which, in Leonard’s opinion, is infinitely more important.</p>
<p>“Sara Lance?” The knight questions, and with a relieved grin Sara takes a step closer to the base of the hill.</p>
<p>“Guinevere.” She greets her, “It’s good to see you. Still guarding the perimeter I see.”</p>
<p>“Always.” Guinevere replies, and more knights, these ones wearing their helmets, start slowly poking their heads from bushes and behind trees, some from the branches of the trees themselves, Leonard notices. “What brings you back?”</p>
<p>There is another question written on her face, no doubt one that regards the presence of children trailing after Sara, and quite possibly his identity.</p>
<p>Sara looks back at their group, as though she is trying to decide how much is worth sharing, before she eventually looks back to Guinevere.</p>
<p>“We need to speak with Merlin.”</p>
<p>Leonard doesn’t know why he’s holding his breath, a force of habit he supposes, when he knows just how this is going to play out. Sure enough Guinevere nods and leads her horse carefully down the hill. She lets her knights know that she will be back soon, and then they’re following her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zari came to accept at an early age that the world is anything but predictable. She never could have foreseen the path her life would take after she found that egg, nor could she have guessed that when Behrad was off hiding he was actually on a time traveling spaceship saving the world over and over again, making sure history stays on course.</p>
<p>This whole being turned back into a teenager thing is really less shocking than the bomb that Camelot exists and they’re going there.</p>
<p>The part of all this that has really rocked her world here is Behrad.</p>
<p>She keeps one arm locked firm over him. Gideon fashioned her an era-appropriate sling to carry him in, and she is 98% sure it’s only a thick bed sheet. That’s what it looked like at least, and it took her forever to figure out the right away to tie it properly around herself, therefor she isn’t exactly the most trusting of it.</p>
<p>Supposedly Behrad still knows who he is and what’s going on, and she is inclined to believe that. Apart from that one outburst on the bridge he’s been a pretty chill baby, keeping quiet and he didn’t even fuss when his leg briefly bent at an odd angle when she was trying to get him into the sling.</p>
<p>“How are you doing?”</p>
<p>The question comes from Nate walking beside her, because of course it does.</p>
<p>“Could be worse.” She says, “At least we’re not babies.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nate agrees, and as he does she notices Behrad craning his head up, his tiny fingers gripping at the edges of the sling as if he is trying to peel it away.</p>
<p>“I think he wants you to hold him.”</p>
<p>Nate stops in his tracks, and so does she. The others are still moving but with them having to move slowly as so to allow for John and Charlie to keep up, a quick stop won’t matter much.</p>
<p>“Uh…” She drawls, trying to find the best way to do this. She is not going to move the one arm she’s been holding onto him with, not even for a second. Nate steps closer, his hands held up awkwardly, willing to be told to help her in whatever way she needs.</p>
<p>“Here.” She says, slipping her other hand into the sling behind her brother’s shoulders, and she half lifts half turns him out over the edge of the sling so that he more falls into Nate’s waiting arms.</p>
<p>Nate gets a grip on him under his arms and brings him to his side, adjusting as needed until he finally looks settled.</p>
<p>“Ok, there. Is that good buddy?” He asks, and in response Behrad gives a bobbing nod that Zari doesn’t think is supposed to be so pronounced, or maybe it is.</p>
<p>They start on walking again, not having fallen more than a dozen paces behind the rest of their group. Zari adjusts the now empty sling as she walks, twisting it so the pouch that held Behrad is on her back rather than her front, reveling in the lack of his weight pulling on her shoulders.</p>
<p>It isn’t long before they reach Camelot. Even under the circumstances Zari finds herself amazed by it. Dense trees surround the kingdom along with an enormous stone wall.</p>
<p>“Holy shit.” She gasps under her breath, staring up at the castle while Guinevere dismounts her horse and talks with the guard.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Nate drawls in a sigh of almost resigned defeat. “It’s pretty impressive.”</p>
<p>Pretty impressive is an understatement.</p>
<p>The entrance Guinevere leads them through goes directly into the castle, but even so Zari can imagine that even the dirtiest and simplest parts of the kingdom are as awe inspiring as this.</p>
<p>“You know, this place is only the way it is because of Legends.” Nate whispers to her as they follow their friends down the tunneled corridor.</p>
<p>“Explain?”</p>
<p>“Merlin is from the future.” He says, “Well, not your future. Or mine. She’s from 1956, but it’s the future to this place. She was tasked with hiding a piece of an all-powerful spear and dropped off in this time so she used her own magic powers to create Camelot to serve as a smokescreen. She figured no one would find the piece if it was hidden somewhere that isn’t supposed to exist.”</p>
<p>As usual with Nate there is a lot to unpack in that story, and also per the usual Zari hasn’t decided yet if she wants to pursue it or not when they come to the opening of a large, winding stone staircase.</p>
<p>There is no railing, and John and Charlie move slower than they already have been this whole time, with their little bodies near plastered to the wall as they watch each step going down.</p>
<p>Zari look over to Nate, who she can see tightening his hold on Behrad with both hands.</p>
<p>“Why don’t I take him back?” She offers, though it’s more of a request than an offer.</p>
<p>It isn’t that she doesn’t trust Nate to go down the stairs with her brother, even considering how steep the staircase is and how a fall will almost certainly end with serious injury. It’s just she would prefer to have Behrad herself, wrapped in a sling where she can keep one hand on him and one on the wall for her own balance, and thus Nate can also hold onto the wall.</p>
<p>Really, it’s better for everyone.</p>
<p>Nate hesitates for a minute, blinking out of surprise. “Ok.” He eventually says, and so she shifts her sling back around to her front, and he helps her get Behrad situated all over again.</p>
<p>As she starts her way down the stairs she keeps her eyes past the sight of her brother dangling from her front and on her feet, watching each time her toes make contact with the hard stone below.</p>
<p>The staircase feels as though it goes on forever, spiraling endlessly, until it finally a dark archway opens up and that has to be the bottom.</p>
<p>“Merlin?” Guinevere calls as they descend into the dark underground of the castle.</p>
<p>It’s a huge chamber, and yet all the clutter makes it feel cramped. The first thing Zari notices is a large wooden worktable in the center of the chamber, overrun by all sorts of charts, maps, booklets, jars, and even what she thinks is the remnants of some food.</p>
<p>She scrunches her nose in distaste, and continues her scan of their new surroundings. Despite how long the staircase was to get here the ceilings are low, and the walls are lit by candles hanging every few feet, giving light to the mess that is the room.</p>
<p>Then, among all the darkness, something moves.</p>
<p>Not something actually, someone. A figure in a dark hood, which is soon removed to reveal a young woman with curious eyes and knotted blonde hair. It takes Zari until Guinevere, Sara, and the woman start speaking for her to realize the woman is Merlin. Nate had said “she” when describing Merlin and Camelot earlier, but that had only changed Zari’s mental image of a haggard old man to that of a haggard old woman.</p>
<p>Behrad squirming around gets her attention right then, and when she tilts her head down to make sure he’s ok she is immediately hit with the pungent smell of complete and utter shit.</p>
<p>She looks around the room for a reason aside from curiosity, searching for a clear spot where she can safely lay Behrad down. She finds one on the bench seat of the table and cocks her head for Nate to follow her, as they had packed some baby supplies into his satchel.</p>
<p>“Oh, what is that?” He whispers with disgust in his voice as they slip over to the far side of the bench, and she once again rolls Behrad out over the edge of the sling.</p>
<p>“The crap you guys ate for lunch.” She scowls, and she tries to push up the shift they’d dressed Behrad in, but her brother kicks at her hand and locks his little legs together.</p>
<p>“B come on.” She huffs, putting her hands on her hips. “I changed your diapers the first time you were a baby, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen already.”</p>
<p>Behrad actually looks thoughtful at that, and soon he unwinds his legs and doesn’t fight her too hard this time when she pushes his clothes out of the way.</p>
<p>Nate, now understanding what it is they’re doing, quickly unloads the supplies from his bag and then promptly turns around.</p>
<p>“Find a place to dump the underwear.” Zari orders him, cringing at the sight of her brother’s shrunken and now soiled boxers. She knew she should have put him in a diaper when she dressed him, but they had been running behind already.</p>
<p>“Right.” Nate says, and while he doesn’t move she can practically feel him looking around, going up on his toes and whirling his head everywhere.</p>
<p>She mostly ignores him, focused instead on getting her brother cleaned up and not accidentally smearing shit everywhere in the low light. It isn’t bad at least, especially considering he wasn’t wearing a diaper before.</p>
<p>“There.” Nate says just as she finishes securing the new diaper.</p>
<p>She follows his nod, towards what looks like it might be a small fireplace.</p>
<p>“That’s gonna stink this whole place up.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to burn it.” Nate whispers back. “Just dump them at the side, I’m sure Merlin knows of a nearby place to get rid of crap covered clothes.”</p>
<p>She rolls her eyes but fixes Behrad’s clothes and picks him up in one arm before pinching the ruined underwear with the other hand. She then sneaks over to the fireplace. This takes her close to where Sara and Merlin talking, and so she starts listening.</p>
<p>“So you can’t fix them?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m sorry.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So you can’t fix them?”</p>
<p>Courtney – Merlin, as she’s known here – shakes her head with genuine sorrow, and Sara can feel the hope slipping out of her.</p>
<p>“No, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, and really she knew coming into this that Courtney wouldn’t be able to help. If Nora couldn’t help there wasn’t much hope.</p>
<p>But she had hoped.</p>
<p>Leonard steps up behind her, where he’s been lingering and listening.</p>
<p>“Do you have any idea what she might be after? Or how she was able to time travel?”</p>
<p>Inwardly, Sara tells herself to calm down. Had that been her next question? Yes. Does it matter in the long run that Leonard asked it instead? No, it doesn’t.</p>
<p>What matters is that Courtney is shaking her head, which means they are entirely on their own with this.</p>
<p>“Time travel spells are far beyond Morgan’s skillset, and mine as well. It’s likely she’s working with someone.”</p>
<p>Great, just what they need.</p>
<p>“The only goal I’ve ever known Morgan to have was to assume the throne here. I can’t imagine what she’s planning to do in 2020 but I don’t think she planned on harming those kids you described her having captured. Morgan loves children.”</p>
<p>“So what?” Leonard asks, “She kidnaped them and put them in comas in her basement for safety?”<br/>It’s sarcastic, and Sara glares at him, because now is not the time for sarcastic. Morgan liking kids is more than what they had five minutes ago. It’s something, it’s small, but it’s something.</p>
<p>“Possibly.”</p>
<p>“We should be getting back.” Sara says, “Thank you for trying to help.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more useful.” Courtney says and Sara gives her what she hopes is an assuring smile.</p>
<p>She then turns around to gather the team, and with the last hope of someone being able to fix the de-ageing officially shattered it fully hits her what it is they’re facing. Mick is standing against the entranceway to the room, his arms folded over himself and his eyes avoiding hers, trying to come off as though he wasn’t listening in. John and Charlie are doing much the same, although they are over perched on the end of the bench seat this side of the table and looking over Merlin’s various jars and scrolls; likely looking for a cure themselves. Nate and Zari have slipped a little deeper into the room with Behrad, and when Sara catches sight of them they are struggling to get a near fussing Behrad back into the sling Gideon had fashioned for Zari.</p>
<p>They had better find Morgan quick once they get back to 2020.</p>
<p>Guinevere offers for them to stay the night in the palace, and it’s a tempting offer, but they only packed one bottle for Behrad and according to Gideon’s scan of him he’s too young to be going more than six hours without eating. Besides, the sooner they get back to the ship the sooner they can get home and start sorting out this mess, so off they go.</p>
<p>Maybe they should have considered earlier they’d be here though the night and packed more supplies.</p>
<p>They didn’t park the ship too far out of Camelot, barely a forty-minute hike. She would’ve parked closer, but the last time they left Courtney asked that should they ever return they leave distance between their ship and the kingdom, just on the off chance either was discovered it wouldn’t lead to their enemies finding the other. Besides, there are only so many clearings large enough to land the Waverider in such a dense forest.</p>
<p>All things considered, the team should be able to make the return hike.</p>
<p>“Ow muck furtder?” Charlie whines, her and John were slow moving on the way here, but now on the trek back they’re near dragging.</p>
<p>“A lot.” Sara answers, and in reply Charlie groans.</p>
<p>They walk barely five minutes more before John very dramatically sinks to his knees and Sara rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>“John get up.”</p>
<p>He shakes his head and flops forward onto his stomach, leaves crunching under his weight and his face burying in the dirt of the forest floor. This, evidently, is enough to annoy Mick.</p>
<p>“For fucks sake.” Mick grumbles, walking up to John and the next thing Sara knows Mick has grabbed him under the arms, yanked him up, swung him around, and loaded him onto his back.</p>
<p>John squirms around in some capacity while Mick lifts him, but per usual Mick doesn’t give a damn and by the time he has John secured in a piggyback their silent warlock has given up his fight.</p>
<p>“Ey! I dode ‘e ge arry?” Charlie squawks indignantly.</p>
<p>“Someone else grab that one.” Mick barks over his shoulder, “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>Sara huffs, but Mick’s right, so she squats down to Charlie’s level and cocks her head for her friend to climb on. Charlie does so, happily. She feels almost weightless, to the point Sara doesn’t even feel the need to hunch over and table her weight on her back. It’s another reminder that this whole kid thing is real.</p>
<p>Leonard glances to her as she straightens up but he doesn’t say anything. He keeps relatively close to her while they walk, despite how rough things have been between them. Sara can’t say she doesn’t miss the old days, when she and Leonard would walk side-by-side to and from missions, exchanging comments about Rip or any of their other teammates. They got each other, they were friends, and maybe they could’ve been more if they’d had the chance.</p>
<p>Sometimes she forgets that was a long time ago.</p>
<p>By the time they get back to the ship it’s past dark and Behrad’s increasing whimpers are a good reminder that it’s been hours since any of them ate last.</p>
<p>“We’ll take off in an hour. Get changed and get some dinner.”</p>
<p>With her order she crouches down and allows Charlie to slide off her back, which Charlie does in a very slow and almost sleepwalking like fashion. She watches as the team ambles off into the depths of the ship, Mick still piggybacking John until they have all disappeared from sight. As she straightens up she looks over to Snart, who is matching her gaze with understanding in his eyes.</p>
<p>They need to talk.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Leonard closes the door behind him as he follows Sara into the office. Of all the changes on the ship this room seems to have changed the least, it would be a comfort if it weren’t for the fact that despite minimal changes it has a new owner, and that owner is Sara.</p>
<p>She deserves it; of course, he isn’t so bullheaded he won’t admit that. It just frustrates him that the one familiar room on the ship he feels he has no right stepping foot in unless specifically asked, which tends to only be when he’s in trouble.</p>
<p>And now.</p>
<p>Sara takes the time to lower the blinds on all the windows, making sure they won’t have an audience at any point in this discussion. He wonders if maybe she’s lowering them for another reason, too. If maybe she’s buying herself some time to think.</p>
<p>While she’s lowering the blinds he looks around the room. First his eyes land on the chair that once upon a time may as well have been his. That simple wooden chair over in the corner. He had sat there for bad plan, after bad plan, after worse plan, back during the original mission. He would point out every flaw in Rip’s idiotic ideas while pretending he didn’t care much beyond his own selfish motives, and Sara was never far.</p>
<p>Oh how times have changed.</p>
<p>She lowers the last of the blinds and turns to him with her arms folded, her eyes searching him for something but he doesn’t know what, and that never used to be the case. He used to always – <em>always</em> – know what she wanted whenever she looked at him like that, even when he hated it.</p>
<p>He could take a guess as to what she’s looking for. They’re here to talk about what to do with the team, and about their latest adversary. Is she looking for an opinion about one or the other? Both?</p>
<p>“So what now?” He finds himself asking, “What’s your plan?”</p>
<p>She huffs, “For now? Head back to 2020 and see if Team Flash has had any luck tracking Morgan.”</p>
<p>She doesn’t sound too hopeful, for which he doesn’t blame her.</p>
<p>“And if they haven’t?”</p>
<p>She sighs, sinking down onto the arm of that chair. He wonders if she know what she’s doing, sitting there. She used to sit there, a long time ago, while he would be lounged in the seat. Has she been sitting on that arm all these years? Has anyone else sat in the seat?</p>
<p>Is a fucking chair really his biggest concern right now?</p>
<p>“We can’t move on until we change them back.”</p>
<p>Right, that is his biggest concern. His partner and the rest of the Legends he’s still getting to know stuck as kids. Not exactly ideal for tracking psychopaths through time.</p>
<p>“So what?” He asks, “You want set up shop in Central City for awhile?”</p>
<p>She shrugs one shoulder, her knee bending so that her foot comes up to rest on the seat, right where his leg would be if he had sat down like old times.</p>
<p>If he had, though, he’s fairly sure she wouldn’t have.</p>
<p>“Courtney said Morgan wouldn’t hurt those kids.”</p>
<p>“She must have needed them for something.”</p>
<p>“I know.” She snaps softly, tiredly, but every bit as firm and final as he would expect from a Captain. “But if she isn’t going to hurt them… Maybe the team being turned into kids is a good thing.”</p>
<p>He blinks. He can’t have heard that right.</p>
<p>“You want to let her kidnap them?” He asks, and she doesn’t waver. “Unbelievable.” He mutters to himself, “You want to send a bunch of kids-”</p>
<p>“Except they’re not a bunch of kids.” She interrupts, near rocketing to her feet. “They only look like kids, but inside they’re still adults perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.”</p>
<p>“First of all they are not perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, even as adults.”</p>
<p>She looks like she might be considering saying something to that, but she doesn’t, so he plows on.</p>
<p>“Second of all they’re only going to be adults trapped in kids bodies for a month at best before their minds backslide as well, and that’s just the teenagers. John and Charlie might have two weeks if they’re lucky, and Behrad will likely be a full baby by the time the sun comes up.”</p>
<p>“Then we work fast.” She says, hands on her hips. “We keep an eye on them, monitor whether their slipping or not. If we think their minds are reverting too much we make sure they stop. But we might have a month before that happens, and we have to do something.”</p>
<p>She’s right. He hates it, but she is. They can’t exactly leave the team stuck like this forever, but if keeping de-aged Legends in check is going to be anything like doing so with the fully grown versions, then they aren’t going to get anywhere with just him and her tracking Morgan.</p>
<p>“We’ll need a cover.” He finally says, “All of us. Most of those kids were taken from schoolyards.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, an understanding in her eyes. They’ll have to work out the details with the rest of the team, but they know what they need to do.</p>
<p><em>“Just another mission.” </em>Leonard thinks to himself.</p>
<p>Just another mission.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Ughing shi!”</p>
<p>Charlie punctuates her curse – even through her garbled speech Nate can tell it was a curse – with a swift kick to the refrigerator.</p>
<p>“Hey!” He snaps from his seat at the counter, “None of us are happy with this, you don’t need to kick the fridge.”</p>
<p>“Oar nod abby?! I caugn rechh da replador!”</p>
<p>Nate is not proud to say that he stares at her for a solid few seconds before he finally gives up.</p>
<p>“One more time?”</p>
<p>“I caugn rechh da replador!”</p>
<p>“Uh…”</p>
<p>While he is trying to decode that John appears next to Charlie and meeting Nate’s eyes he starts making a series of symbols with his hands.</p>
<p>“John… John what are you doing?”</p>
<p>He gets a scowl in reply to that, and more symbols.</p>
<p>“John I don’t know what the means. Is it some weird magic, silent incantation thing? Is it-”</p>
<p>“Wait…” Zari drawls next to him, leaning closer to him and… oh fuck, he had forgotten how betraying a teenage body can be.</p>
<p>Zari, thankfully too preoccupied with both what John is doing as well as feeding Behrad, isn’t paying him any attention and he resituates himself quickly enough, angling his more “expressive” parts away from Zari and crossing his legs hopefully non-suspiciously.</p>
<p>“John?” Zari asks, “Are you using sign language?”</p>
<p>With a huge grin on his face, one finger to his nose, and the other out to her like in charades John begins nodding.</p>
<p>“You speak sign language?” He asks, more to Zari, but to John too. It’s Zari, of course, who answers him.</p>
<p>“Yeah but I don’t… I can’t understand him either.”</p>
<p>While both John and Charlie look utterly defeated by that Nate is still processing the intrigue that always seems to pop up whenever he learns something new about Zari, and then Gideon chimes in.</p>
<p>“If I may.” She says, her voice unexpected but more than welcome at this point. “Mr. Constantine appears to be using British Sign Language.”</p>
<p>Zari sighs, “Yeah, that would do it.” She remarks, “I know American sign language.”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately,” Gideon continues, “BSL, along with any other dialect of sign language, is not translatable through the ingestible translators many of you have taken, as those operate via the bodies auditory systems.”</p>
<p>“But you know them?” Nate asks, because if Gideon had been able to recognize what Constantine was doing then surely…</p>
<p>“Yes.” She replies, “I am programed with a knowledge of all sign language dialects. And can I point out, Mr. Constantine; there are signs for what you are trying to say. You don’t need to spell everything out.”</p>
<p>John scrunches his face up at the ceiling and then makes some more signs.</p>
<p>“What’s he saying Gideon?” Nate asks.</p>
<p>“He is informing me he only know the BSL alphabet, in a addition to simple signs such as yes, no, and a few words I am not going to say aloud.”</p>
<p>Yeah, that sounds about right.</p>
<p>“From what I gathered of his earlier signs, I believe he was attempting to inform you, Dr. Heywood, that he and Charlie are unable to reach the replicator at this time.”</p>
<p>Nate peers around the corner at the two of them, who both look relieved and are standing helpfully in front of the replicator. At first glance they look like they can reach, but the more he looks the more he realizes Gideon is right. They can reach the receiving tray just barely, but they have no hope of reaching the button.</p>
<p>“Sorry guys.” He sighs, getting up from his stool and walking over to the replicator.</p>
<p>He’s about to ask what they want, but he’s sure that won’t end well, so instead he puts in a request for four slices of pepperoni pizza, two to a plate. He hands them each their plates and then puts in a request for two glasses of fruit punch, and when he hands them those they each frown.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>They look to each other, Constantine scowls up at Gideon, and Charlie takes a sip of her punch.</p>
<p>“Nodgin.” She says, and he would ask, but they both turn and make their way to a table in the back of the galley.</p>
<p>Even if he wanted to ask again he doesn’t get the chance. Mick comes through the door with Sara and Snart following behind him.</p>
<p>Nate watches as Mick trudges over to the other side of Zari and then down one extra seat, the very last stool in the line. He looks very much the part of a brooding teenager dragged out of his room for a family meeting, and Sara and Snart look a hell of a lot like parents about to give bad news.</p>
<p>The two of them stand on the opposite side of the counter. Snart leans himself up against the fridge while Sara leans her hands flat onto the counter, her eyes surveying the room and Nate does his best to not shrink under her gaze.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She eventually says, and behind him Nate hears a soft clank, and when he checks over his shoulder everything is fine, and John and Charlie have given Sara their full attention. “Here’s the plan. We’re gonna set up base in Central City so we can find Morgan. The best way to find her is going to be to send you guys into schools.”</p>
<p>That earns a collective groan, and some kind of shout of something from Charlie in the background.</p>
<p>“Will that really work?” He asks, “We don’t know if Morgan saw what she turned us into, she might know what we look like.”</p>
<p>“And who’s to say she hasn’t moved on?” Zari asks, backing him up.</p>
<p>“If Morgan’s moved on we can deal with that when we get to it.” Sara says, “Besides, we don’t need her to kidnap you. All we need is for you guys to find out how she got the kids she did, which you should be able to do by making friends.”</p>
<p>Nate rolls his eyes, even if Sara’s right.</p>
<p>“How are we supposed to get into schools?” Mick asks from the ends of the counter. “You two gonna pass off as our parents?”</p>
<p>At his comment Sara leans back and exchanges a look with Snart, and Nate feels his heart drop.</p>
<p>This is a very bad idea.</p>
<p>But Sara turns back to them, “Gideon’s going to make up some forms.”</p>
<p>“You’re serious?” Mick snorts, “People ain’t gonna buy that the six of us are your kids, especially not Charlie.”</p>
<p>“There’s more than one way for people to have kids, Mick.” Snart says right on the heels of Mick’s claim, his expression bored and angry in equal measures, it’s honestly a little unsettling.</p>
<p>Sara nods in agreement with him, which is a whole other level of unsettling, and shows just how bad this might get.</p>
<p>“Most, if not all, of you will be registered as adopted. Gideon will make some fake records for me and Snart so it won’t be suspicious that an adoption agency trusted us with six kids.”</p>
<p>She glances over her shoulder then, and Nate can only imagine the glare she is giving.</p>
<p>“And everyone will stay out of trouble.”</p>
<p>Snart, predictably, scoffs.</p>
<p>Nate can’t say he disagrees with that assessment.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When they land back in 2020 they touch down in the back of the S.T.A.R. Labs parking lot and Sara is quick to assign Leonard to going inside.</p>
<p>“Really?” He asks, “You know there is only so much of the nerd squad I can take in one day.”</p>
<p>“Fine.” She huffs, just as she takes Behrad from Zari. “I’ll go, and you can stay on the ship with a baby, two kids who can’t communicate, and three teenagers.”</p>
<p>He knows right then and there that her collecting Behrad was a strategic move, as well as turning to face him with their infantized teammate on her hip. It’s supposed to threaten him, leave him grateful for her not making him stay behind.</p>
<p>But instead the sight of her with a baby on her hip…</p>
<p>“Fine.” He agrees, because while he doubts it’s worked as intended, her threat has worked and he needs to get off this ship. Now.</p>
<p>So he lets himself back into S.T.A.R. Labs, which after all this time he really would’ve thought would’ve invested in better security by now.</p>
<p>As he stands in the elevator descending down into the basement level he starts to wonder if maybe he’s bitten off more than he can chew here. He probably has, probably did the moment he set foot on the Waverider five years ago. At this point it isn’t like he has much of a choice. He can’t just up and abandon Sara and the team like this, especially not with what’s at stake.</p>
<p>The thought of that leaves an uneasy feeling in his stomach. What if, God forbid, they can’t fix this? From what he’s heard Vandal Savage wasn’t the only foe of the Legends’ who they weren’t able to stop in a week, and time is certainly not something they have to take for granted right now. What happens if finding Morgan and getting her to change the team back takes longer than a month? What if Mick, Nate, and Zari start to revert before that? What if - in the absolute worse case scenario - they can’t fix this?</p>
<p>The elevator dings and he shoves the thought away. He is not going to think about that.</p>
<p>There is no sound of shouting or other stupidity carrying down the halls, but it’s still early. He’s sure there will be plenty of noise here throughout the day as it goes on.</p>
<p>
  <em>CLANG</em>
</p>
<p>Case and point.</p>
<p>The sound is followed by an exasperated curse, and Leonard follows the noise past the cortex to Cisco’s workshop. Inside he finds Cisco fussing over a piece of metal that he is going to assume is some type of panel that goes to whatever that machine is that is taking up the majority of space on the worktable.</p>
<p>He clears his throat and raps his knuckles on the open doorframe, and Cisco looks up with mild disinterest.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He says, focusing back down on his work. It almost annoys Leonard how he very clearly isn’t considered a threat in this workshop, almost. “Any luck in Camelot?”</p>
<p>“Nope.” Leonard sighs, leaning on his elbows down at the end of the table. “Here?”</p>
<p>Cisco shakes his head, his eyes focused on the large metal cylinder in front of them.</p>
<p>“Not yet.” He says, “But if I can get this magic detector to work then maybe…”</p>
<p>Maybe is not something in which Leonard Snart likes to be counting on, but at this point he doesn’t have much of a choice.</p>
<p>“Did you meet King Arthur?”</p>
<p>Cisco’s words yank him from his thoughts, which he hadn’t realized were getting so deep he required yanking.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You went to Camelot.” Cisco repeats, “Did you meet King Arthur?”</p>
<p>Leonard scoffs; he should’ve known Cisco would be a medieval legends nerd.</p>
<p>“No.” He says, “Just Guinevere and Merlin.”</p>
<p>Cisco pauses mid-action in reaching for his magic detector, his face frozen in an almost offended expression.</p>
<p>“<em>Just </em>Guinevere and Merlin?” He asks, and Leonard chuckles.</p>
<p>Cisco shakes his heard, mumbling something under his breath and pulling his detector closer.</p>
<p>“So what’s the plan now?” He asks, “I’m assuming the Legends are still rugrats?”</p>
<p>“You would assume correctly.” Leonard sighs, “The only somewhat useful thing Merlin had to offer was that Morgan might be working with a partner-.”</p>
<p>“Great.” Cisco says, tinkering with a screw on his machine. “Why not? Like the witch kidnapping kids wasn’t enough.”</p>
<p>“And.” Leonard picks back up. “She likes kids. She isn’t likely to hurt them.”</p>
<p>“Well that’s something, at least.” Cisco grumbles, “So what’s the plan? Little Legends going after her?”</p>
<p>Leonard tenses, because he is still not entirely on board with that plan.</p>
<p>“For now…” He drawls, picking up a discarded screw on the table’s surface and turning it over thoughtfully in his fingers. “Sara and I are going to be keeping a close eye on them. If they start to show signs of their minds going backwards… We’ll figure out a plan B.”</p>
<p>Now it’s Cisco who scoffs, “You and Sara?” He asks, “What, you guys are gonna play mom and dad?”</p>
<p>He doesn’t answer, just keeps on playing with his screw, and eventually Cisco’s thoroughly entertained expression falls as he realizes that, yes, him and Sara playing mom and dad is exactly the plan.</p>
<p>It isn’t long before the smile is back on Cisco’s face, a very distinct mocking quality to it now.</p>
<p>“Oh man.” He snorts, “This is gonna be good.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most annoying mission Sara has ever dealt with.</p>
<p>Going over information with Gideon to make up the adoption papers is easy, the hard part is trying to do it while dealing with a team trapped in the bodies of children.</p>
<p>They <em>really </em>should have spent a night in Camelot. Turns out an hour is not enough time for little bodies to get adequate rest, and she <em>knew </em>that. Anyone who has ever even been around a child should know that. She did know that, she <em>does </em>know that. She just…. Didn’t think of it.</p>
<p>So now John and Charlie are cranky, because they haven’t slept in close to a day and while their adult forms could easily go a week without sleep before losing control on the fatigue their eight-year-old bodies are much less resilient. Unfortunately their stubborn ass adult brains are still in there, and they <em>refuse </em>to admit they’re tired.</p>
<p>“John, I have had to wake you up from a nap for a mission. What is the problem?” She exclaims, because for the third time in ten minutes John has outright refused to take her advice and take a nap. In response to her outburst he sticks his tongue out at her, again.</p>
<p>She growls and rolls her eyes, trying to focus back on the center console and the work she is attempting to get done there.</p>
<p>“Fine, whatever, just go complain about this to someone else.”</p>
<p>With a very dramatic tip back of his head John rolls his eyes and starts trudging off.</p>
<p>Sara sighs and tries to refocus on the forms. Nate and Mick look a surprising amount alike, enough they can pass as biological siblings. According to Gideon’s scan they’re both fifteen, and they can’t pass for twins, so she’s putting into the records that they’re half-brothers. Same father, different mothers. It’ll draw less suspicion that there are six of them if some of them are biologically related.</p>
<p>Charlie won’t be included in that; she’ll have come in on her own. Zari and Behrad will be listed as siblings, obviously. The real question is John. She isn’t sure if maybe it’ll raise a few hairs that she and Leonard adopted a mute boy with an already full house, or if maybe it’ll be even more suspicious to report they adopted other children after him. Then… As a child his hair is blonder, not unlike hers, and so long as he doesn’t have an accent to give him away…</p>
<p>“Sara?”</p>
<p>She looks up, and Zari is standing hesitantly in the doorway.</p>
<p>“What’s up?”</p>
<p>Zari presses her lips together and slowly makes her way onto the bridge, something that settles an uneasy feeling inside Sara.</p>
<p>“Behrad’s asleep.” Zari says, though that is so obviously not what she’s come in here to discuss.</p>
<p>“Good, at least that’s one of them.”</p>
<p>Zari hums, “Yeah.” She says, “I um… I was thinking about that. Sort of, them and this whole cover story thing. Um… What exactly is the plan for the cover? In terms of us?”</p>
<p>Sara gives a sigh, her shoulders deflating as she even dares to think about that.</p>
<p>“It’s a work in progress.” She says, and when she does Zari takes another step closer, now peering over the edge of the console at the rough versions of the forms.</p>
<p>Sara lets her look them over for a few seconds before she sets about explaining.</p>
<p>“It’ll work better if we can pass some of you off as biologically related.” She says, “So you and Behrad are obvious, then we’re gonna stick Mick and Nate together. Charlie on her own won’t raise too many red flags-”</p>
<p>“You really think people will buy Behrad and I are siblings?”</p>
<p>Sara blinks, because she can see the genuine concern in Zari’s eyes, but her and Behrad are probably the only part of this whole cover she is confident in. They ARE siblings.</p>
<p>“We’re fifteen years apart now.” Zari laminates, “Like… What are the chances two people would give up a baby, and then fifteen years later give up another? Then for the adoptive parents to still be open to taking a baby-”</p>
<p>“Ok.” Sara interrupts, seeing her point. “It’s a jump, you’re right. So you think I should tell the world your brother isn’t your brother?”</p>
<p>Zari hesitates for a minute, her eyes back on the virtual image of the forms.</p>
<p>“Kind of.” She eventually says, in a way that has Sara bracing herself, but for what she isn’t sure. “I was thinking… John can’t talk, Charlie can talk but none of us can understand her, Mick is… I think Mick has more issue with this whole Benjamin Button thing than he’s letting on. You’re kind of halfway to a house for difficult placements.”</p>
<p>Hm, not wrong.</p>
<p>“What’s your point?”</p>
<p>“My point is… I’ve been the one looking after Behrad since yesterday, and if my mind really does start to go I don’t want to forget that Behrad is my family.”</p>
<p>“You won’t.”</p>
<p>“I could.” She snaps back firmly, but not aggressively. “Anyway, it’ll raise less questions if most of your kids are tough placements. So tell them Behrad is mine, something tells me a teen mom in foster care is about as hard as it gets.”</p>
<p>Sara can feel her brain shorting out. Zari’s logic is pretty solid, much as she hates to admit it. If this were guaranteed to be a two or three day thing then she wouldn’t hesitate. It makes since, it’ll make the cover more believable and thus the mission easier. As a Captain she thinks this is a solid idea. As a friend she knows Zari is still mentally a grown adult and she can make her own decisions, but then she jumps back to the Captain part of her and she knows that might not be the case throughout this whole mission.</p>
<p>Which means she can’t make this call thinking like a Captain; she has to think like a parent.</p>
<p>She wonders if Zari knows that, because the impatient way she’s standing with her hands clasped in front of her, her whole body stiff, she looks too much like a teenager asking permission from her mother. And what kind of permission? Permission to become a mother herself?</p>
<p>The obvious answer to that is <em>hell</em> <em>no</em>. Sara may not have any experience as an actual parent, but she is pretty sure allowing your teenage daughter to have a baby isn’t high on the recommended list.</p>
<p>“I’ll think about it.” She says, “There’s a lot to consider there. We might need you to go after Morgan and if it comes to that I’d rather not have to worry about Behrad being with you.”</p>
<p>Zari nods, then excuses herself, and as soon as she’s gone Sara leans heavily against the console and sighs.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Did you have any luck before they got away?”</p>
<p>Morgan shakes her head, “No.”</p>
<p>Her partner sighs, scowling and kicking at a nearby support beam as he lets a curse past his lips.</p>
<p>“Ok.” He huffs, “Ok. We need a new plan.”</p>
<p>“No we don’t.” Morgan near pleads, because a new plan could very well mean no more use for her. “We just need different children.”</p>
<p>Her partner looks less than comfortable with that idea, even if the use of children had been his idea to begin with and it was her who was uncomfortable with it. But now she’s seen that he was right. There is no harm to come to them in this, and now that she knows better what it is she needs to do she can work faster this time.</p>
<p>“Besides,” She says, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin. “We won’t be going after any ordinary children this time. I’ve created some… some pawns for us.”</p>
<p>“Pawns?” He asks, looking at her with an eyebrow raised and as though she is completely insane. “What do you mean pawns?”</p>
<p>She swallows but doesn’t allow herself to waiver beyond that. She can’t afford that kind of weakness, not if she wants him to hold up his end of the bargain.</p>
<p>“I don’t believe in coincidence.” She informs him, “The warriors who took the children? I believe they can lead us right to what we’re looking for.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sara, against what is either her better judgment or pessimism, ends up agreeing to Zari’s plan under conditions. She can pass off Behrad as hers on the forms, but that’s the extent of it. Unless she is directly asked at school she isn’t to mention him being hers, and if things start to look like they’re taking a turn for the worst then they’ll change the forms to say that Behrad is her brother. It’ll be an easy enough switch. The only mention of Behrad on any of the forms is on some falsified hospital records claiming he belongs to Zari. If it comes to switching the forms all they’ll have to do is explain Zari’s name on there was a misprint, mixed up somewhere along the way with the adoption papers. The worst-case scenario will likely be someone asking for a blood test, in which Zari and Behrad will test as siblings because, well, they are.</p>
<p>Somehow Sara is getting the feeling it won’t be that simple, but it’s what she’s telling herself.</p>
<p>Leonard provides the address of one of his safe houses for all the forms, allowing the teenagers to catch a school bus. The address, unfortunately, is within what the city considers to be walking distance from the elementary school, so someone needs to bring Charlie and John to school.</p>
<p>It’s just as well, better than needing to walk them to a bus stop and risking the neighborhood parents asking questions.</p>
<p>“Eye it tho faww?” Charlie whines as Sara leads her and John down the city blocks the next morning, the backpacks Gideon fabricated for them bouncing empty on their shoulders, and nearly big as their little bodies.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Faw!!!” Charlie whines, and then she groans. Sara can’t blame her for being frustrated; as at this point they’ve determined that there are very limited things she can say comprehensively.</p>
<p>They keep on walking another five blocks, occasionally passing a few other kids waiting around for school busses on their way. They pass by a playground, some restaurants serving breakfast at outside tables, and other things you don’t normally see in the morning when living in the middle of the time stream. Sara wonders, not for the first time, if this is what Ava had in mind whenever she brought up settling down. The smell of exhaust in the early morning air of the city, the sound of car’s honking all around, and ushering along two moping kids to school. It probably is, and she can’t say she regrets turning the idea down time, after time, after time. This is fine for a mission, a cover, but it isn’t her life.</p>
<p>She swallows down a shudder.</p>
<p>This won’t be her life.</p>
<p>When they arrive at the school kids are filing in on their own, and it <em>should </em>be that simple, except for, well, it’s not.</p>
<p>For Charlie it is, but since John can’t speak the principal had asked she and him meet with a paraprofessional to evaluate him before sorting him into a classroom.</p>
<p>It hadn’t taken long to read between the lines on that phone call, they want to make sure he doesn’t need to be in a special needs room.</p>
<p>As they draw closer to the front entrance Sara stops and drops to her knees with her hands on Charlie’s shoulders, making sure to speak in a hushed voice so that no one else can hear, and they look like nothing more than a mother wishing her child a good day.</p>
<p>“Ok, remember you’re going into second grade. So don’t move too fast through any of the lessons. Make sure you talk to the other kids, try and find some who were either taken by Morgan, or who know someone who was. Got it?”</p>
<p>“Od itd.” Charlie replies with a firm nods and Sara hums in approval, and then turns her loose.</p>
<p>“Ok…” She huffs, straightening back up and looking down to John. “One down, one to go.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mick hated high school the first time around, and even though everyone makes it sound like high school is a lot better now than it was in the 80’s, high school is still high school, and in his opinion it’s worse. Least when he was here the first time the girls ogling at themselves kept it in the bathroom mirrors, or the tacky magnet ones in their lockers, but now their all staring into the cameras of their fucking phones in the middle of the halls.</p>
<p>Snart and Sara are really going to owe him for this one.</p>
<p>On the bright side his classes haven’t been too obnoxious yet, and maybe he’s just lucked out but teachers here sure seem to care a hell of a lot less than the old farts he put up with. He doesn’t think his homeroom teacher took attendance, first period history was a joke, second period English was a movie, and now he’s headed for study hall. Easy.</p>
<p>Or maybe not.</p>
<p>He takes one step into the classroom and freezes where he stands. Sitting in the second to last row, in the very first column of desks, is his freaking daughter.</p>
<p>Nope.</p>
<p>He turns on his heel and walks out the classroom.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“So John has never been on an IEP or 504 plan?”</p>
<p>It is all Sara can do to keep from bashing her head into the desk. Actually it isn’t even a desk, it’s more of a table, and the chair she’s stuck sitting in is one of those tiny chairs for children. John is sitting next to her, looking far more in-place in that little chair than either her or the paraprofessional sitting across from them.</p>
<p>The para, Mrs. Arquette, seems nice enough. She’s a short, skinny old woman with a bright smile and a chip in her front tooth. Sara had nearly laughed when she had greeted John with sign language and he’d looked at her with a total and undeniable lack of understanding.</p>
<p>John looks up indignantly from the packet he’s been filling out, which Sara does her best to ignore.</p>
<p>“No.” She says, she may not know off the top of her head what either of those things are, but based on the context of this meeting, she could take a guess. “There’s never been any need. He’s mute, not deaf, so he can hear fine, and his last two teachers were fine with him writing down answers on a piece of paper to show them.”</p>
<p>“I see,” Mrs. Arquette says, and thankfully not in a judging tone. “And he’s never been assessed for an anxiety problem?”<br/>Sara’s face falls, and next to her John stops writing.</p>
<p>“Uh… No. What does that have to do with anything?”</p>
<p>Mrs. Arquette looks between her and John almost uncomfortably.</p>
<p>“Well… It’s just that total physical mutism is incredibly rare, and almost always a symptom of trauma done to the brain, but that typically shows other symptoms as well. Selective mutism is much more common, especially in children who have a background in foster care.”</p>
<p>When Sara doesn’t say anything to that she turns her sights on John, who goes stiff in his seat and looks slowly up at Mrs. Arquette from his packet.</p>
<p>“John?” She asks him softly, “Can you tell me… have you ever been able to use your voice? Even just once?”</p>
<p>John looks at her for a minute and then shakes his head, and so her attention turns back to Sara.</p>
<p>“You’ve never heard him speak?”</p>
<p>“N-No.” She stutters. “Never. His caseworker, his old foster parents, they all said he’s never spoken.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Arquette nods, though now she looks like she is worried.</p>
<p>“And was he ever examined by a doctor?”</p>
<p>“Not beyond yearly physicals, as far as I know. There are some gaps in his records. But I can go back through what we have, see if I missed something.”</p>
<p>See if there’s a more specific condition Gideon can put on his forms.</p>
<p>Mrs. Arquette appears to buy her excuse, and the smile comes back to her face as John pushes his completed packet forward.</p>
<p>“Well, many of our teachers have miniature whiteboards they use for class activities. I’m sure it can be arranged for John to use one throughout class to give his answers and communicate. I’ll look through his packet, but for today we’ll bring him into one of our general education classes. I would like to set up a meeting with both yourself and your husband, if that’s possible, to discuss the future.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, and credit to John he doesn’t look like he’s worried by any of this, but simply annoyed.</p>
<p>She wishes she could say the same for herself.</p>
<p>“Of course.” She says, “That would be great.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Leonard sighs as he walks up the pathway to the house, Behrad in one arm and a small diaper bag of supplies slung over the shoulder of the other. It’s been a long time since he was last here, even longer since he last used an alias this deeply, but if there is one thing he knows about faking an identity it is that you <em>really </em>have to fake it.</p>
<p>He gave Gideon this address for one reason and one reason only; it’s the only actual safe <em>house </em>he’s got. The others are all run down apartments or abandoned warehouses. If on the off chance someone somewhere checks the address on any of the forms it can’t lead back to a warehouse, and he’s sure that with six children registered living there an apartment would raise some suspicion.</p>
<p>So here he is. 78 Highland Avenue, the two story, three-bedroom house inside which he lived out his own torturous childhood.</p>
<p>Not that he disclosed to Sara that little tidbit of information.</p>
<p>He glances at Behrad, unsure as to if he understands what is happening. He’d had Gideon scan him this morning after Sara left with Charlie and John for school. While her scan can’t detect an exact mental age she had been able to tell him that his brain was showing up different than that of his adult self; and she would estimate that right now he is mentally closer to a six-year-old.</p>
<p>Which means he could every easily revert to a full-fledged infant by nightfall.</p>
<p>“What do you think kid?” He asks in a sigh, “Are we going to be able to get this place looking like it’s being lived in?”</p>
<p>Behrad gives what might be a partial shrug, at least that is what Leonard is going to take it as; some acknowledgement that he understands at least a little of what is going on.</p>
<p>He pulls out a key from his pocket - one he is suddenly grateful he never got rid of – and turns the lock. The door sticks a little, as it always has, and he kicks it at the bottom as he turns the knob and it opens.</p>
<p>Upon entering the house he feels the hairs on his arms raise under his jacket. He can’t put his finger on it; maybe’s there’s too little dust in the air, or too little smell of rot. Maybe it’s just an instinct engraved in him from a lifetime of always being on high alert, but he knows right away that someone else is here.</p>
<p>Yet, oddly, he doesn’t feel any danger in the air.</p>
<p>“Hello?” He calls into the house, and sure enough above his head he hears the creak of someone upstairs.</p>
<p>“Lenny?”</p>
<p>He sighs, closing his eyes, and if he had a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose he would. “Oh shit.”</p>
<p>Before he can even think about cutting and running his sister comes barreling down the stairs, though she freezes soon as she’s made it far enough to see him.</p>
<p>This isn’t the first he’s seen her since coming back to life. One of the first things he did upon waking up was ask to be taken to see her, and Sara had obliged to that right away. She’d dropped him in Gotham City, where he’d found Lisa living on the straight and narrow.</p>
<p>“Um…” She trails, folding her arms across herself. “Should I ask?”</p>
<p>“Relax, he’s not mine.” He says, stepping fully through the door and kicking it closed behind him.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t answer my question.”</p>
<p>He rolls his eyes as he sets the diaper bag down by the door, and the next thing he knows he is explaining everything that’s happened.</p>
<p>Somehow by the end of his tale he and Lisa have found their way to the couch, Behrad settled contently on his knee and kept quiet via his leg bouncing up and down.</p>
<p>“So he’s not really a baby?” Lisa asks, eyeing Behrad, and Leonard sighs.</p>
<p>“He will be.” He says, and Lisa straightens with worry on her features. “The spell has side-effects when not reversed after so long, the younger someone is aged back the quicker they’ll take effect. The longer the team stays like this the more likely it is their minds will revert to match their bodies. I had Gideon scan him this morning, as of then he was already mentally six.”</p>
<p>Lisa’s jaw drops a centimeter, “The others?”</p>
<p>“No signs of them reverting yet.” He promises her, “Sara has a friend whose a witch, and according to her the others will have a little more time because they didn’t go back as far; a month at best.”</p>
<p>“And then what?” Lisa asks, “You can’t change them back?”</p>
<p>He almost tells her that isn’t a worry, that they can change them back after that. But… suddenly he finds himself wondering… can they?</p>
<p>Say this does take longer than they have before the others start to lose their minds, will there be any consequences to aging them back at that point?</p>
<p>He looks down to Behrad, wondering if it’s already too late for him.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” He says, “Hopefully.”</p>
<p>Lisa nods, and for a few second they’re silent. The only sound his Behrad, hitting one hand lightly against Leonard’s knee, like he’s searching for a new grip of something.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” He finally asks, to which Lisa shrugs.</p>
<p>“Bachelorette party and wedding for a friend.” She says, “Everything’s done now. I’m heading back to Gotham tomorrow morning.”</p>
<p>He nods, though he has to admit he’s a little disappointed to hear she’s heading back so soon. It would be good to have her here, evidence that someone is indeed living in this house. Plus… If things go south….</p>
<p>“So…” She starts to taunt him, nudging his leg with her foot and a smirk on her face. “You and Sara?”</p>
<p>He rolls his eyes. He had told her a very limited amount about Sara, but he’s guessing that over the years he was gone Mick told her some things here and there. She’d had this annoyingly knowing gleam in her eyes when he first mentioned Sara that day he went to see her in Gotham, and this is further evidence she knows more than he would like her to.</p>
<p>“It’s a mission Lisa.”</p>
<p>“Mmhmm.” She hums, very clearly not believing it.</p>
<p>“And after the mission?”<br/>He scoffs, and as Behrad starts to fuss he shifts his hold on him, and when that doesn’t work he reaches into the diaper bag at his feet and pulls out a stuffed toy he’d packed, which thankfully does the trick.</p>
<p>“After the mission we go back to what we’ve been.”</p>
<p>“Suppressing your feelings?” She asks with an all-knowing quirked brow.</p>
<p>“A Captain and a crew member.” He firmly insists. “I don’t know what Mick told you, but putting the accuracy of it aside Sara and I aren’t who we were five years ago. She’s had time to change, I haven’t, we don’t get along anymore.”</p>
<p>“Right…” She drawls, obviously not believing him. “Either way.” She says as she gets up from the couch, and she takes Behrad from him as she does. “I am going back to Gotham tomorrow to pick up Lucky, and then I’m coming back here. There is no way I’m missing whatever this is.”</p>
<p>She starts off for the kitchen with Behrad on her hip, and he scowls under his breath as he gets up.</p>
<p>“You do realize this is serious?”</p>
<p>“Yep.” She throws over her shoulder. “Doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning is easy enough for Charlie. One of the office secretaries brings her to her classroom and from there she spends the time sizing up the other kids rather than paying attention to any of the lessons. She counts twenty-four kids, and from what she gathers there is another second grade class right next door. She does her best to tally which kids are louder and more rambunctious and which ones are quieter. Then she works on trying to decipher which ones are more likely that way due to personalities, and which ones – if any – are covering up trauma from Morgan.</p>
<p>She learns during morning attendance that there is one kid absent today, a boy named Joshua. She puts him high on her list of possibilities.</p>
<p>The only hiccup in the morning also occurs during attendance, when the teacher, Ms. Parris, asks her to introduce herself. Her stupid jacked up voice leaves half the class laughing at her and the other half staring, but she’s pretty much forgotten that by math time.</p>
<p>Which is interrupted when another teacher knocks on the door and asks to see Ms. Parris in the hall.</p>
<p>The second the two teachers are gone all the kids are immediately turned every which direction in their seats and gossiping. The girl next to her, Rachel, however is not. Instead she wastes no time in sneaking out a book from inside her desk, and then is promptly poked in the shoulder by a ruler from the boy sitting behind her.</p>
<p>Charlie watches as the girl growls, “Logan stop.”</p>
<p>“What?” The boy asks, feigning innocence. “I’m not doing anything.”</p>
<p>Rachel growls again, but tries to keep on reading her book, all while Logan continues to poke at her.</p>
<p>“Shce sait do top.” Charlie snaps at the boy, inwardly groaning herself when he blinks at her, his ruler frozen mid-poke.</p>
<p>Rachel is staring at her too, along with the girl sitting next to Logan she’s sure, but none of them have a chance to comment on her lack of coherence, as that is precisely the moment in which Ms. Parris re-enters the room.</p>
<p>And she has John with her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Sara finally arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs Leonard is already there and going over some blueprints with Behrad in a Pack ‘n Play next to him, which kind of put her on edge because he was not supposed to beat her here. He had said making that safe house of his appear occupied would likely take most of the day; it’s been awhile since he was last there. He said he would spend the day there, leave to pick up John and Charlie, and then meet her back at the ship.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She says as she enters the cortex, “You finish early?”</p>
<p>He sighs, and she stiffens, “Not exactly.” He says, “I got there and what did I find but my sister. Apparently she’s been crashing there for a few days; so good news is the place looks like it’s been lived in because it has. Bad news is she’s going back to Gotham to get her cat and then she’s coming back here, thinks we need her help.”</p>
<p>Sara takes a moment to think on that, really think on it. She’s only met Lisa once, and not under the best of circumstances. She went with Mick four years ago to tell Lisa about Leonard’s supposed death. She had felt extremely out of place in that meeting and the two of them had done little more than looked at each other. Still, neither Mick nor Leonard has ever spoken anything other than highly of Lisa, with the small exception of pointing out her wild streak. She sounds like someone who would fit in nicely with their little band of misfits.</p>
<p>Besides, they’re going to need all the help they can get with this mission if things get dicey.</p>
<p>“John’s teacher wants to meet with both of us.”</p>
<p>Leonard freezes.</p>
<p>Ok, he hadn’t been moving before, but Sara sees him tense hovered over his blueprints. She waits, her arms crossed over her middle and she almost checks her hip against the corner of the desk. She wants to. She wants to sit partway on it, get that much closer to him… but she won’t. They don’t work that way anymore.</p>
<p>As if knowing she needs a bail out a small but sharp whimper sounds out from the Pack ‘n Play. They both snap their heads over to look at Behrad, but it’s Sara who moves. She circles around Leonard and bends down to gather Behrad into her arms.</p>
<p>“Sorry bud.” She says while she lifts him up higher, in front of her and almost above her head. “This is gonna get personal.”</p>
<p>She ignores Leonard watching her as she does something she hasn’t done since her babysitting days; she sniffs for a mess in the baby’s diaper and frowns when nothing really sticks out. Of course he could be wet, she never did master figuring that out by smell. She eases Behrad down and settles him against her chest, rocking him and trying to figure out what else might be wrong.</p>
<p>“Has he eaten lately?”</p>
<p>Leonard shrugs, “When you fed him before you left, that was what? Three hours ago?”</p>
<p>She nods, it was. They asked Gideon how often they should be expecting Behrad to need to eat, and she had said it would likely be between every three to five hours.</p>
<p>“It’s a little soon.” She mumbles to herself, glancing at the time just to make sure, and it has <em>barely </em>been three hours. “How’s he been?”</p>
<p>She knows he’s reverting faster than any of the others, but yesterday he had seemed so… so unlike a baby. Well, not totally, obviously, but he’d been quiet. She hadn’t even heard him when Zari snuck off to change his diaper in Merlin’s workshop. Last night he’d slept all through the night, or if he hadn’t he didn’t let them know.</p>
<p>“I had Gideon scan him after you left this morning, she said his brain is around that of a six-year-old.” He’s eyeing Behrad wearily while he speaks, watching as their infant teammate continues to cry while she reaches down to the strap of the diaper bag sitting on the ground. “He might be all baby by now.”</p>
<p>She does her best to suppress a groan as she hauls the bag up onto the table. She knows he’s probably right, and she keeps a firm hold on Behrad in one arm while she rummages with the other hand until she finds a pacifier. Thankfully he takes it, and right as he does Cisco comes jogging into the room.</p>
<p>“Hey,” He says, “I think my magic detector got a lock on Morgan.”</p>
<p>Sara looks to Leonard, who is looking back at her.</p>
<p>“We can’t bring him.”</p>
<p>He’s right, she knows he’s right, but she looks back to Cisco before making any sort of decision on Behrad.</p>
<p>“What are we dealing with?”</p>
<p>Cisco shrugs, “Not sure, I picked up on traces of what I’m assuming is magic. It doesn’t match any particle I’ve seen before.”</p>
<p>“So you have no idea if it’s Morgan?” Leonard drawls, unimpressed.</p>
<p>“I’m not a magician!”</p>
<p>Sara rolls her eyes, and then debates whether there is any winning in this situation. If she goes with Cisco that leaves Len on baby duty, but if he goes with Cisco that leaves him alone with Cisco.</p>
<p>Oh, that could be fun.</p>
<p>“Be back in time to pick up John and Charlie.” She instructs, and now it’s him who rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Charlie and John remain relatively quiet throughout lunch – in Charlie’s case that is, John is completely quiet - sat at a half-full table of other second graders who mostly ignore them they still don’t want to risk being overheard. When they’re brought outside for recess they don’t dart for the slides or the jungle gym like their classmates. Instead they walk at the back of the crowd and head over by the school wall, and John pulls a small notepad and a pen from his pocket.</p>
<p>
  <em>So?</em>
</p>
<p>Charlie scrunches her nose.</p>
<p>“Though haut?” She asks, “Ooo finc andyting?”</p>
<p>John rolls his eyes at her, rather dramatically in her opinion, and quickly scribbles out a message on his notepad.</p>
<p>
  <em>I was a little busy stuck with a teacher who thinks I’m faking!</em>
</p>
<p>Charlie arches her brow; she is definitely going to have to ask about that later.</p>
<p>“Whadevecr.” She says, “Wayr nod gona made frients ober ear.” She starts to walk away from their little safety by the wall and cocks her head for him to follow. “Comb od.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t follow at first, only watches her go, but she decides that’s his choice. In her opinion being the weird kid against the wall isn’t going to yield any results. If they’re going to find the kids Morgan took they are going to need to socialize.</p>
<p>Besides, that tunnel slide looks like fun.</p>
<hr/>
<p>By the time she walks into her last period biology class Zari is pretty much over being in high school. It was exciting for all of five minutes, since she didn’t go to actual high school when she was a teenager. She had a few tutors, and she always thought Behrad was lucky because he’d had the courage to tell their parents he wanted to go to real high school, and so he did.</p>
<p>Now she’s kind of grateful she hadn’t gone the traditional route.</p>
<p>It isn’t the cliques of teenage friend groups that have her so unimpressed; those are actually a little laughable. It isn’t the crappy cafeteria food, or any mean teachers. It’s that high school is SO boring. She hasn’t endured anything this soul sucking since… since never. Never once has she been able to feel her will to live being sucked out of her the way she has today. Half her teachers act like they’ve given up, and the other half are obviously counting the days to retirement, and the select few who do care are the worst because they’re young and the kids don’t listen at all. The work is pointless. Literally pointless. It’s nothing but busy work, and as she selects a seat in the back corner of the room she doubts bio is going to be any different.</p>
<p>Mick comes in right after she’s settled herself, so that’s a comfort. She hasn’t seen him or Nate all day. He glances around the room and then comes and slides into the seat next to her, dropping his bag and propping his feet up on the bars underneath the seat ahead of him.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She says in a low voice, “This place suck as much for you as it does for me?”</p>
<p>He huffs, and she’s sure he’s about to answer.</p>
<p>When Lita walks in.</p>
<p>In retrospect Zari has no idea why she’s surprised, how it never even occurred to her that Mick’s daughter would be going to school here.</p>
<p>“Worse.” Mick grumbles, “Bye.”</p>
<p>Before he can get up, and before she can think, she reaches over and grabs his arm. He glares at her, hard and surprised, but he stays in his seat.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” She hisses under her breathe. “You can’t ditch class.”</p>
<p>“Clearly you don’t know how high school works.”</p>
<p>She rolls her eyes, takes away her hand, and thankfully he still doesn’t try and leave again.</p>
<p>“We need to blend in.” She continues, “Meet the other kids.”</p>
<p>“I’ll meet the ones cutting class.”</p>
<p>“Mi-”</p>
<p>It’s too late; he is already up, his bag left behind, and out the door.</p>
<hr/>
<p>That night is strange.</p>
<p>The Legends have had many strange nights, but none so much as that night.</p>
<p>It’s filled with homework, and trying to track the schedule of a baby, and things Sara has always joked she feels like the team is acting like they’re doing but it has never before been literal. Cisco’s lead with Morgan turns up nothing, and Sara has to push it to the back of her mind while she fights with John and Charlie about going to bed by nine because they’ve already learned their young bodies can’t handle the late nights their adult versions can.</p>
<p>She also finds herself locking the liquor cabinet and dropping the key somewhere she is sure no one other than maybe Leonard can find it.</p>
<p>By eleven she’s managed to get John and Charlie at least to stay in their rooms, which is a win. She’s also taken Behrad duty back from Zari because Zari’s younger body also needs more sleep, and she has gotten Behrad down to sleep in a crib replicated by Gideon.</p>
<p>She really needs a drink.</p>
<p>She prefers the real stuff, but it’s easier to just bypass the parental controls she put on the replicator than to go get the key, so she has Gideon fabricate a beer and then sinks down onto a stool at the counter.</p>
<p>It isn’t long before Len joins her.</p>
<p>He’s quiet. He goes over to the replicator and punches in the combination for a beer of his own, then he comes and takes a seat one over from her, and then it is silent for a long while; with the exception of the low hum of static coming from the baby-monitor at the end of the counter.</p>
<p>Until it isn’t only static.</p>
<p>The static is still there, but it’s cut through by a murmuring cry that slowly but surely starts to get louder. Leonard gets up before she can, still quiet, but he leaves the baby monitor and so after a minute she hears the faint sound of a door swishing open on the other side.</p>
<p>“What’s up kid?” His voice echoes in an almost gentle tone, “Huh? You’re not gonna sleep like last night?”</p>
<p>Sara smirks to herself, and keeps smirking as she hears Leonard cooing and making other nonsense shushing noises on the other end of the monitor, assuring Behrad that it’s all right and soon this whole nightmare will be over.</p>
<p>The words jolt Sara; she and Leonard have been so not at each other’s throats since this whole thing started, she hadn’t realized she needed a reminder this is a nightmare.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a week of keeping her head down and trying to observe in Central City High, while also uselessly encouraging Mick to stop skipping bio, Zari notes something she thinks is worth noting. A new girl, who doesn’t seem all that new. She walks into second period sculpture and sits at Zari’s table like it’s routine, chatting with another girl.</p>
<p>“She’s fine.” The new girl says, her words quick and Zari can’t help but notice her face is slightly off-color. “Somehow. Honestly I think I was more of a wreck.”</p>
<p>“It’s not like you could’ve known the lady was psycho.” The second girl, Ari, a senior, says.</p>
<p>“I should’ve.” The first girl insists, “It’s not like I hadn’t met the woman.”</p>
<p>“All those other parents had met her.” Ari continues, and Zari knows she has so far set up a reputation for herself as a quiet girl, as well as Sara’s rule that she is not to mention Behrad as her son, but this could be something.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” she interjects quietly into the conversation. “What psycho lady did parents meet?”</p>
<p>The two girls – as well as the other three kids at the table – all look at her as though she’s insane, and it occurs to her she hasn’t spoken a word since starting in this class.</p>
<p>“I have a kid.” She defends with a causal shrug.</p>
<p>Most of the other kids are still looking at her with varying degrees of surprise, none more so than Ari and her friend.</p>
<p>“I had to find a new daycare for my daughter.” Ari’s friend explains, “I had her going to a home daycare but the woman who ran it is moving. I found this woman, Morgan Smith, starting an at-home daycare and looking for clients. I met with her and she seemed great, but the first day she opened my daughter and every other kid was brought to the hospital in some kind of coma, and she got away.”</p>
<p>Zari forces her eyes to widen, putting on the façade that this is completely new information to her.</p>
<p>“Wow.” She says, “That’s awful. Is your daughter ok?”</p>
<p>The girl relaxes a clenched fist, “Yeah.” She says, “She’s fine. The doctors still don’t know what caused the coma, but she’s fine. I stayed home with her last week looking for a new daycare, and this week my grandma was able to take some time off to stay with her.”</p>
<p>Zari nods, “Good. That’s good.”<br/>
That is when the teacher comes in and so everyone starts getting up and collecting their projects from their designated shelves at the back of the room.</p>
<p>“I’m Libby, by the way.” The girl says, falling into step alongside Zari as the two of them hang towards the back of the cluster of kids grabbing projects.</p>
<p>“Zari, and thanks for the heads up about that lady. I’m really sorry you and your daughter had to go through that.”</p>
<p>“I’m just glad you butted in. I would never want someone else going through that.”</p>
<p>They grab their projects, Libby’s noticeably behind the rest of the class due to missing a week.</p>
<p>“I don’t suppose you have any recommendations about daycare?”</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Zari says with a shake of her head. “Right now I’m pretty lucky and not worrying about daycare. My parents have really flexible work schedules and are really great about watching my son while I’m at school. Plus if something comes up my aunt is, like, in love with him.”</p>
<p>The word “aunt” feels strange on her tongue, at least with it being in regards to Lisa Snart. It’s also strange to think of potentially leaving Behrad with someone whom she’s never met. She’s heard enough about Lisa, and how she’s been hanging around at S.T.A.R. Labs and practically melting any time Sara or Snart shows up with Behrad. She thinks she would trust Lisa alone with him if she had to, Sara and Snart seem to.</p>
<p>“You are lucky.” Libby muses, “Not that I can say I’m not. My parents are supportive and help me pay for daycare, but they both work some pretty hard and set hours. My grandma’s great and only works a few days a week at a grocery store, but my grandpa has alzheimers and needs someone to keep an eye on him.”</p>
<p>“I am so sorry.”</p>
<p>Libby waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t be.” She insists, “He isn’t so bad yet that he <em>can’t </em>be left alone or doesn’t remember <em>anything, </em>otherwise she wouldn’t work at all. It’s mostly to make things easier on him.”</p>
<p>Zari nods, and that should be the end of the conversation. She’s gotten what she needed, how Morgan got those kids to the house as well as her alias. She’s done here. But, well, commitment to the role and whatnot.</p>
<p>“So how old is your daughter?”</p><hr/>
<p>Mick is skipping study hall, per usual. He’s walking laps around the school and doing nothing in particular. Avoiding Lita, first and foremost. He hasn’t gotten much info yet about the witch and her kidnapped kids, or any information at all really. He’s kept his ears open, but so far nothing. Those kids were little though; he doubts he’ll be hearing much about them at a high school.</p>
<p>Rounding the corner he turns right back around, a curse screaming through his mind. Lita’s coming down the hall, but she’s supposed to be in study, and there’s like three bathrooms between here and that classroom.</p>
<p>Ok, so she’s skipping class too. Fine, whatever, she can do what she wants. Ali used to skip class all the time and she turned out fine.</p>
<p>He realizes as Lita turns the corner that he is still standing flush against the wall like an idiot playing hide-and-seek, and she notices too, and stares at him with a raised eyebrow.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?”</p>
<p>He should tell her to scram and mind her own business.</p>
<p>“Nothing.” He says, pushing himself away from the wall and straightening out his jacket. “What are you doing?”</p>
<p>She gives him a weird look, one he does his best to match. What business does she have looking at him like that anyway?</p>
<p>“Whatever.” She grumbles, moving on and continuing down the hall to wherever she’s going, towards whatever trouble.</p>
<p>He doesn’t move until she is all the way down the hall and around the corner, and he knows he should just keep going the way he was and keep this whole teenager redux thing as uncomplicated as possible.</p>
<p>But his eyes linger on the other end of the hallway.</p>
<p>Damn it.</p>
<p>He follows the path she’d taken, half sure he isn’t going to find her. She had enough of a head start, and she could’ve gone down the next hall or kept going straight, or gone up the stairs, or-</p>
<p>Or, she could have something to do with the cloud of smoke coming from behind the stairwell.</p>
<p>He scrunches his nose; it doesn’t smell like smoke. It smells like fruit, if that makes any sense. Really sweet artificial fruit.</p>
<p>He pokes his head around the corner, and is greeted by the sight of her sitting crisscross on an old desk staring at him, with something that looks like one of those USB sticks held between her lips.</p>
<p>Nonplussed she holds eye contact with him, then takes the stick from her mouth and breathes out a long stream of fruity smelling smoke.</p>
<p>“You wanna hit?” She asks, holding the stick out to him. He looks at it, trying to figure out what the hell it is. It ain’t a cigarette, that’s for sure. He goes through a mental list of all the weird looking bongs he’s seen Stoner use since he joined up, but he’s pretty sure none of them look like this thing.</p>
<p>She shrugs and takes the stick back; guess he’s been taking too long. She puts it back in her mouth and drags in another long inhale through her nose before releasing it in another fruity cloud out between her lips.</p>
<p>“So you don’t vape.” She muses, eyeing him from the corner of her eye now. “Why’d you follow me back here?”</p>
<p>His mind blanks of everything except the urgent need to get the hell out of here <em>NOW.</em></p>
<p>“What’d we do in bio yesterday?”</p><hr/>
<p>Since it’s been a week now things have, at least, found a pattern. Every day Sara brings John and Charlie to school while Len takes Behrad with him to S.T.A.R. Labs to try and make progress on tracking Morgan. After dropping them off she goes to The Citizen in case Iris has any information, or she starts scouring the city. In either case she always makes it back to the Waverider by 2:30, which is when Nate, Zari, and Mick are usually getting back. Like clockwork she meets Leonard in the S.T.A.R. Labs parking lot just a few minutes before and trades a lack of information for Behrad, and he goes to the elementary school for pick-up duty.</p>
<p>It all goes as planned today, as usual. She found nothing, he found nothing. He gives Behrad to her and warns about what the last diaper looked like, then he leaves and she takes Behrad onto the ship to wait for everyone to return.</p>
<p>“Well B, what do you think?” She asks, slumping down in the nearest flight seat with Behrad situated on her lap.</p>
<p>He eyes her curiously, and he leans his whole body forward so that his hands press firmly into her stomach. She chuckles, and he mimics the sound, and then proceeds to collapse fully on her chest.</p>
<p>“Oof.” She says, laughing, and he laughs too and picks himself up a little, looking at her, holding eye contact before he drops again in a fit of giggles.</p>
<p>“You think that’s funny?” She coos, “Huh? You think it’s funny to knock the air out of me?”</p>
<p>Behrad is still laughing, even as she picks him up enough that she can see his face again and she finds herself smiling wide along with him. It’s infectious, and the same can be said for his giggles. As if on cue he drops himself onto her again and starts laughing harder.</p>
<p>“You’re nuts.” She laughs, pulling him up, and she knows some of the team will be getting back soon so she forces some composure into herself. “Were you this much fun as a baby the first time?”</p>
<p>He doesn’t answer, of course, just keeps giggling as she stands up and so he buries his head into the crook of her shoulder. Smirking she reaches up with the hand that isn’t holding him and ruffles his hair, which though much shorter now is still every bit as shaggy as it is in adulthood. He giggles against her neck, and that’s when she hears footsteps coming and soon enough Zari, Nate, and Mick come in and dump their backpacks in the corner by the door, which is apparently where backpacks are kept.</p>
<p>“Hey,” She greets them, nudging Behrad out and then handing him over when he starts leaning out as Nate approaches. “How’d it go today?”</p>
<p>“Actually,” Nate says, adjusting Behrad against his side, “Z got some information.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Sara asks, impressed, but when her eyes settle on Zari she doesn’t look so confident.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” The teenager says before looking to the boys, and apparently that is all the hint they need to scram.</p>
<p>Sara watches them go, suddenly feeling uneasy about this. She waits for Zari to speak.</p>
<p>“I was talking with a girl at school. She has a kid so I mentioned Behrad.”</p>
<p>“What?” Sara asks, her voice dropping.</p>
<p>“I had to.” Zari readily defends, “It got her to talk to me, and thanks to that we now have Morgan’s alias. Morgan Smith.”</p>
<p>Sara scoffs. Of course that’s it. Didn’t even change her first name and picked the oldest name in the book for an alias. Why not?</p>
<p>“She was running an at-home daycare.” Zari continues on, “That’s how she got the kids into the house.”</p>
<p>She nods, “Ok.” She says, trying to think it through.</p>
<p>She’s trying to think through where Morgan might be now, where she might strike next, what effects Zari mentioning Behrad at school – because she knows what she mentioned him as – might have on things.</p>
<p>“The girl says that Morgan got away…” Zari trails, and that makes sense.</p>
<p>“So she might not be in Central anymore.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Great.</p>
<p>“Ok.” Sara says, “Good work.”</p>
<p>Zari looks surprised, like she was expecting a reprimand for going against their agreement. Let the record show that Sara is still considering it, but she’ll make up her mind about it later if she needs to. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll be able to find something based off the information.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So sorry for the delay with this! I hit some writers block and ended up taking a mental break from his story in hope of sorting it out, I think it worked!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Leonard returns to the ship with John and Charlie the two of them dump their backpacks in the un-designated corner and Sara almost tells them about Zari’s lead. Her face is starting to brighten with excitement, but then she sees the look on Leonard’s face. It’s a silent look of <em>something went wrong,</em> and what could’ve gone wrong in picking up two de-aged superheroes from school?</p>
<p>Knowing them, a lot of things.</p>
<p>She waits until John and Charlie are gone, off to cause trouble somewhere else, and then she keeps waiting because she is suddenly more curious about whatever happened with them than she is happy about the lead.</p>
<p>“Constantine had a note for me from the teacher.” Leonard explains, his fingers tapping distractedly on the surface of the main console, his eyes flicking up to look at her. “A reminder that we have a conference with her tonight, and while we’re there she wants to talk about Charlie.”</p>
<p>It feels like a weight sinks in her chest, “What happened?”</p>
<p>He sighs, and leans his elbows down on the console.</p>
<p>“She got in a fight.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>He shrugs, “She said something about a boy named Jason, I think, I can’t understand her. What I got was that he was making fun of her accent.”</p>
<p>Sara wants to ask why that should be a trigger. A kid mocking her? Charlie is an adult on the inside, and a tough one at that, she shouldn’t be irked so easily.</p>
<p>But… Maybe that’s changing.</p>
<p>“Ok, we’ll see what the teacher has to say tonight.” She says, and then she sighs and pushes her own weight off the console, an action which Leonard mirrors. “In other news, Z might have found a lead on Morgan.”</p>
<p>Leonard perks up; clearly that’s good news to him.</p>
<p>Maybe they can get this over with.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Sara and Snart leave to meet with the rugrats’ teacher Sara gives them one rule; don’t leave the ship.</p>
<p>Mick is not listening to that.</p>
<p>With them all stuck as kids this place is starting to resemble the foster homes he stayed in after the fire. He remembers those places, filled with the most broken of the broken children (since they weren’t about to put the convicted arsonist in with “normal” foster cases). He remembers some of the kids gluing themselves together – metaphorically speaking, usually; pretending they were real siblings.</p>
<p>Zari and Nate especially, looking at them they remind him a LOT of the other teenagers in those places. There was always one girl who would plant herself in the kitchen and always find chores for herself instead of having an actual life; like playing mom took away the pain of not having one. Wherever that girl was there was always a guy hanging around her, looking at her like she was the single most important thing in his world. Usually cause when you’re fifteen and no one wants you, getting laid is the single most important thing in your world.</p>
<p>Currently those two idiots are hanging out somewhere on this ship with Behrad, other than that he couldn’t care less what they’re doing. He’s lived this script before and if he’s gotta do a repeat he’s spending as little time here as possible. Besides, according to Zari they’ve got Morgan’s fake name now.</p>
<p>Gideon says she can’t find any records other than the ones that lead to the house they already busted her at, but any half decent criminal knows how to find someone.</p>
<p>He goes to the park. It may have been thirty years since he’s been a kid on the streets, but Central City is still the same streets, mostly. In any case thugs are still thugs, and kids are still kids.</p>
<p>As expected there are some guys playing basketball at the edge of the park, all of them somewhere between his age and their early twenties. He approaches with his hind hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face, watching from the side of the court until their ball finally gets knocked out of bounds and one of them has to go get it.</p>
<p>“Yo, can I help you?” One of the older ones asks him, more like demands actually.</p>
<p>Mick raises his head, “I’m looking for someone.”</p>
<p>“So are a lot of people.”</p>
<p>Mick rolls his eyes; right about now his when he would normally be pulling out his gun and demanding answers. But that won’t work in this scrawny body that ain’t done growing. He’s gotta play this smart.</p>
<p>“Look, my sister’s all worked up about some lady who put kids in a coma, know where I could find her?”</p>
<p>The look the guy gives him says it all; he thinks he’s completely nuts.</p>
<p>“Whatever man,” the guy says, and he starts to walk back to his game.</p>
<p>Ok, playing smart isn’t gonna work.</p>
<hr/>
<p>One thing Sara is glad to see in the parent-teacher conference is two adult chairs across from Ms. Parris’s desk.</p>
<p>Ok, maybe adult is a bit of a stretch, but they’re bigger and less awkward, probably borrowed from a fourth grade classroom.</p>
<p>“Remind me why one of us couldn’t handle this while the other looked into Morgan?” Leonard asks while they’re waiting for Ms. Parris to return from next-door, his voice hushed even though it’s only the two of them in the room at the moment.</p>
<p>“Because we have two kids in this class, one who the teachers think needs serious therapy, and the other got in a fight today.” She murmurs back, “We need to make a good impression, so if they want to see us both, we’ll both come.”</p>
<p>He hums, not sounding overly thrilled with her explanation, but not unconvinced. It’s a first, she realizes, or a first in awhile anyway. He’s been questioning a lot of her decisions since rejoining the team, as evidenced by how they ended up in this predicament in the first place.</p>
<p>Maybe that’s why he’s been so cooperative throughout this. He knows he screwed up, but he would sooner give his life than say it. Maybe this is his way of apologizing, biting his tongue and doing as she says. That thought leaves a bitter feeling welling up inside her, making her grit her teeth, but she doesn’t have any more time to dwell on it. Ms. Parris is back.</p>
<p>“Thank you so much for waiting.” The teacher says as she comes around the corner of her desk, slightly flustered. “Mr. Carr is meeting with the parents of a boy who recently moved from my class to his class, I had to bring him some of his projects.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” Sara says with a smile that is easy enough to fake. It’s almost a relief actually, switching to focusing on the cover rather than her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Anyway.” Ms. Parris begins, “Before we get into things I feel like I should let the two of you know that both Charlie and John are proving to be wonderful additions to the class.”</p>
<p>Leonard snorts, and immediately Sara starts to glare at him, not that he pays her much attention.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” he says with an easy and amused grin on his face. “But those two are such a handful, forgive me for being skeptical they could be a pleasure to have in class.”</p>
<p>With a grin of her own face Ms. Parris chuckles, and the slightest point of the corner of Leonard’s smirk clues Sara in. She wants to roll her eyes; this is his game. He plans to get through this conference the way he would get through a job playing a mark.</p>
<p>“Believe me, Mr. Drake, they are a handful.” Ms. Parris says, and the sound of the alias they chose for this serves a reminder that this is part of the job, even if an elementary school teacher isn’t the primary mark. “But they are both so wonderfully bright and creative. Troubles aside they are a joy to have in class.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Sara says, “But I know we’re here to talk about their troubles.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris nods, her smile fading a touch.</p>
<p>“Yes.” She says, “First I want to discuss John. He’s an interesting case, isn’t he?”</p>
<p>“You could say so.” Leonard says, almost quietly. “I’ve heard you’re worried about his speech? Or, lack of it, rather?”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris nods, her face almost grave. “In general, his social skills concern me.”</p>
<p>“How so?” Sara asks, “Specifically, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Well… In addition to his mutism he tends to keep to himself, which may be a result of the mutism or possibly even the cause of it. Mrs. Arquette mentioned to me that to your knowledge he hasn’t been assessed for an anxiety problem?”</p>
<p>“Right.” Sara says with a nod, “I double checked what we have of his records but, like I told Mrs. Arquette, there are some gaps. We don’t know everything.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris nods, “Well, I would advise you to have him see a counselor. His staying to himself may very well be something he’ll grow out of. How is he at home? Did he take well to his adoption?”</p>
<p>Sara and Leonard look at each other, maybe they should’ve thought more about what kind of questions they would be asked at this. They were prepared for things involving records, paperwork, but stories like that? They hadn’t worked out all those details.</p>
<p>They hadn’t asked John and Charlie if there’s anything specific they’ve told (or written) to other kids that they should know about.</p>
<p>“About as well as any kid can take to something like that.” Leonard answers, “When we first met him he kind of stayed to himself, but once he got comfortable... Sometimes we forget he can’t talk, you always hear him coming at home.”</p>
<p>Leonard says that last part with a good-natured chuckle, and it seems to put Ms. Parris at ease, so he keeps going and Sara is more than content to let him.</p>
<p>“He’s really into magic. He’s always taking things around the house, writing down for us that he needs them for his spells. What spell he’s doing that involves my winter coat and a box of pudding I would love to know.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris laughs, and even Sara finds herself smirking, if only because she remembers John performing that spell back when he was an adult.</p>
<p>“He’ll come out of his shell,” Leonard concludes, evidently satisfied that Ms. Parris is less concerned about John than she was at the start of this. “But we will look into a counselor for him, now that we know there’s a chance his mutism could be all in his head.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris nods, smiling. “Well, aside from the social concerns he’s doing great in class. He isn’t usually the first volunteer for anything, but he’ll raise his hand and answer a question. He’s also good about participating when he’s called on.”</p>
<p>They nod along through the rest of the report about John, and soon enough it’s Charlie’s turn.</p>
<p>Which is, predictably after today, a little less positive.</p>
<p>“Now obviously Charlie has some trouble communicating.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, “Yeah, we heard about the fight.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris grimaces and starts to shuffle some papers on her desk. “Yes, and I would like you to know that I will be meeting with Jason’s parents tomorrow afternoon to discuss his behavior towards Charlie, it’s unacceptable. That being said, I do think Charlie would benefit from some outside help.”</p>
<p>“Like what?” Leonard asks, all hints of joking and smooth talking gone from his voice.</p>
<p>“Well speech therapy for one. Many children have trouble with enunciation, and on top of that Charlie has to adjust to American English. We have a different way of speaking than what she’s used to, as I’m sure you’re aware.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Sara says, “But we don’t want to give Charlie the impression that we’re trying to change her, take away her accent or anything. She’s proud of where she comes from.”</p>
<p>“Of course she is.” Ms. Parris says, a good-natured smile on her face. “I could look into some of the offices the school has worked with in the past, I’m sure we can find her a therapist with experience with accented children.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, she still isn’t crazy about the idea, but hopefully they won’t get that far. They’ll follow up on Zari’s lead, find Morgan, and this will all be over with soon enough.</p>
<p>“Now, I do want to discuss Charlie’s escalation of the fight. From what was reported to me she immediately told Jason to “shut up”, at least that is what the other students report it sounded like, and then she punched him and turned the fight physical.”</p>
<p>“We’ll make sure we talk to her.” Leonard says, but this time Ms. Parris isn’t put at ease so readily.</p>
<p>“I understand that Charlie must be going through a lot, what with her adoption and moving to a new country. It can be a lot for a kid, and I think it might help if she were to see a counselor as well.”</p>
<p>Sara does not like the sound of that.</p>
<p>Something abut all this, the fact that Charlie may have used the term “shut up” as opposed to some more colorful language… The idea of her seeing a counselor is a frightening one. She hates to think it, but what if Charlie is starting to slip? If she’s regressing then she might slip up, disclose information about time travel, or even her own past as a fate.</p>
<p>Time travel might be easy enough to explain as a kid’s over-active imagination, but she isn’t sure what a licensed psychologist might make of a kid hinting at being a deity, nor does she want to find out.</p>
<p>Looking to Leonard she can see the same fears swimming through his eyes, and he seems to take her look as confirmation.</p>
<p>“We’ll think about it.” He promises the teacher, “But before we go ahead with it, is there anything you can suggest that we might be able to do for her ourselves? At home? Charlie might take us sending her to therapy as pawning her off on someone, not wanting to deal with her problems ourselves. Some of her foster homes really did a number on her.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris nods with a sympathetic expression, which is good.</p>
<p>“I would suggest looking into the speech therapy.” She repeats, “Otherwise, ask her how her day has been. Keep tension at home to a minimum, and make time for some one on one time with her; or two on one, if you can both be around for just her at the same time. Maybe tuck her in at night together; always give her a hug before bed and before school. Little things like that, and keep an open mind about a councilor.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, they may just keep their cover in tact.</p>
<p>Of course, right as she’s thinking this, Leonard’s phone starts to buzz and he glances at it.</p>
<p>
  <em>Lisa.</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” He says, getting to his feet and looking to Ms. Parris apologetically. “It’s my sister, and she doesn’t usually call.”</p>
<p>Ms. Parris nods understandably as he heads out of the classroom to take the phone call.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Sara says, getting to her feet herself. “And I promise, we’ll look into everything, both for John and for Charlie.”</p>
<p>“Ok, and remember to be easy on yourselves.” Ms. Parris advises, also getting up. “All children come with their challenges, and John and Charlie really are good kids, they’re lucky to have you and your husband. It’s clear you’re a team in this, and that’s the best thing you can give your kids is a home like that.”</p>
<p>Sara blinks, and then forces a smile, which isn’t that hard. It makes her heart flutter, being told she and Leonard are clearly a team. It feels good, which somehow feels wrong, and instead of examining that she thanks Ms. Parris again, shakes her hand, and goes and joins Leonard in the hall.</p>
<p>Where she finds he looks profoundly disappointed, so she sighs.</p>
<p>“What did they do?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Good job!”</p>
<p>Zari smirks to herself as she looks up over the edge of her laptop at Nate and Behrad seated on her floor and playing blocks.</p>
<p>Of course, with Behrad being five months old, playing blocks consists mainly of Nate building a tower by himself and Behrad occasionally grabbing one. In this instance her baby brother has placed one block on top of another. It isn’t straight, she’s fairly sure he wasn’t trying to build anything, but it’s been done.</p>
<p>He giggles when Nate praises him, and then some more when Nate starts to tickle him. It’s a cute sight, one that makes it easy to understand how, in another life, she loved him.</p>
<p>Though that thought brings about some bitterness, because this isn’t another life.</p>
<p>A small, selfish part of her almost wishes that this could last. Obviously she doesn’t want to relive the mental breakdowns of her early twenties, and she does <em>not </em>relish the idea of raising Behrad. She’d screw him up, big time, especially without memories of the first time around to draw on. But this…. This lie that Nate is her adoptive brother, an actual reason they <em>can’t </em>be together, it’s like a weight as been lifted from her shoulders.</p>
<p>A crash somewhere down the hall is a timely reminder that it’s been replaced by a new weight.</p>
<p>If this is their new reality, then whatever just happened is her problem to deal with.</p>
<p>She and Nate exchange glances, and as she lays her laptop and homework aside and scoots from the bed Nate gathers Behrad into his arms. As they open the door there is another crash, this one followed by an incomprehensible shout. The two of them follow the sounds through the ship and into the galley, where the sight that greets them is of John and Charlie standing on the counter engaged in what can only be described as a cartoon-esque catfight.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Zari shouts, marching into the room and immediately winding her arms around Charlie, removing her from the counter even as she twists, flails, and shouts protests. “What do you two think you’re doing?!”</p>
<p>“Ausd imd!” Charlie shouts, on the ground now while Zari removes John from the counter, who goes with her much more peacefully. “I washt jaud looin far a caubt!”</p>
<p>Zari blinks, hands on her hips as she tries to sound out those words.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, one more time?”</p>
<p>“A caubt!” Charlie near screams! “I watted oos tou I deeded a caubt!”</p>
<p>Zari tries harder to decode that, as she doesn’t want to ask Charlie <em>again</em> to repeat herself.</p>
<p>“A cup?” She guesses, still feeling like she’s missed most of the messaged. “You were trying to reach the cups?”</p>
<p>Charlie nods, is looking past her, and suddenly her face pinches up in anger.</p>
<p>“EY!” Charlie screams, lunging forward so suddenly and violently that Zari has no time to see what she’s lunging at before she’s bent over and holding her back. Only once she has Charlie in her grasp; kicking, screaming, and quite possibly cursing, is she able to turn her head and see the only thing behind her is John with a pen and paper.</p>
<p>“Histh riien apoud meh!”</p>
<p>“What?” Zari asks, and briefly she notices John glaring at Charlie, but before she can comment on that Behrad starts crying and thus gains her attention.</p>
<p>“Uh… We’ll just get out of here.” Nate says, taking a step back out of the galley.</p>
<p>“Can you take John with you?” She asks, and she sees the way Nate freezes, the offended look on John’s face, but she doesn’t care. Right now all she cares about is the pair of sharp elbows jabbing her in her ribs, and how the hands clawing at her skin are planning to make it to John’s throat.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nate answers, and with a scowl John follows him from the room.</p>
<p>She can only imagine this is going to be a conversation later, her shuffling John off like he’s the child he looks like. However she can’t bring herself to care when there are tiny feet stomping on hers, flailing and screaming to be let go.</p>
<p>At least, that’s what Zari assumes she’s screaming.</p>
<p>“Charlie. Ok, Charlie calm down. Calm down.”</p>
<p>Charlie, if she does anything, only starts to fight harder.</p>
<p>“Charlie stop! I’ll let you go when you calm down. Charl- OW!”</p>
<p>She practically shoves Charlie from her arms. One hand grabs at the opposite wrist where she’s been bitten. Charlie stumbles forward, continuing to sniffle and heave.</p>
<p>“You little brat!” Zari growls, “I was just trying to keep you from strangling John, what did you bite me for?!”<br/>Charlie actually looks, of all things, stunned by her words. Her little eyes are wide and for a moment her screams turn down to fast-paced sniffles.</p>
<p>For a moment.</p>
<p>Her eyes quickly scrunch up again and she runs off, near hyperventilating through her sobs.</p>
<p>Zari growls, and tries to predict the chances of Charlie finding John and attacking him, when suddenly that isn’t her only problem.</p>
<p>“Ms. Tarazi,” Gidget says in an almost-sorry tone. “I have received a call from the Central City Police Department.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>After calming Behrad with the aid of a pacifier Nate looks over the note John had scribbled out that sent Charlie into a murderous rage.</p>
<p>“You think Charlie’s regressing?” He asks, and John nods.</p>
<p>They’re in his room; seated on his bed and he is trying very hard not to freak out over the note. John spends more time with Charlie lately than any of them do, so if anyone is going to notice her getting worse it would make sense it would be John.</p>
<p>But… John also got hit with the same force of the spell Charlie did.</p>
<p>“What about you?”</p>
<p>John shrugs, doesn’t move to write anything, and Nate supposes that’s fine. None of them know how quickly they’re going to go downhill, not outside of the flimsy timetable Nora gave them anyway. They know Behrad is already gone, but as the only baby that doesn’t tell them if the rest of them will regress at the same pace. Maybe some of them are backsliding faster than the others of the same age, for whatever reason. Maybe they were all affected differently. Maybe-</p>
<p>His door opens and Zari is standing there, frowning.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He says, “How’s Charlie?”</p>
<p>“Pissed.” She replies, “But we have bigger problems.”</p>
<p>He furrows his brow, gathering Behrad from where he’s been sitting and playing with the edge of a pillow and putting him on his lap.</p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p>She sighs, and then practically marches into his room.</p>
<p>“Like Mick just got arrested.”</p>
<p>Crap.</p>
<p>“What do we do?”</p>
<p>Instead of answering right away she first bends down and takes Behrad from him, using the action as time to gather her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Mick gave the cops the number for the ship’s landline; something I didn’t even know we had. Anyway, I told them our parents are at a parent-teacher conference for John and Charlie. They asked for either a cell phone or for me to call someone else to get Mick, and I panicked and told them I’d get ahold of our aunt.”</p>
<p>Nate raises his eyebrows as he stands, Zari looking at him very hesitantly; waiting for his take on what she’s done.</p>
<p>He’s heard mention of Snart’s sister living in the house they’re claiming they live in, and hanging around S.T.A.R. Labs both for the purposes of flirting with Cisco and annoying her brother. Still, he’s never met her.</p>
<p>“Do we know how to get ahold of our aunt?”</p>
<p>“Gidget has her number.”</p>
<p>Right, of course Gideon has her number.</p>
<p>“Well,” He says, realizing that they are all going to be in so much trouble by the end of the night. “Our only other option is to call in the middle of the conference.”</p>
<p>Zari smirks, “That’s what I thought.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lisa is having a nice night.</p>
<p>That is not something she ever thought she could have in this particular house, but that is what it is; a nice night. She has the TV playing the latest episode of <em>Vanderpump Rules, </em>she has a warm blanket, some reheated frozen ravioli, and her cat Lucky is in the mood to cuddle. It’s nice.</p>
<p>Then her phone starts ringing.</p>
<p>It disturbs Lucky, sending him away from her lap and really that’s more than enough to damage her perfectly nice night. The I.D. says <em>Unknown </em>and she considers not answering, as it’s probably spam, but after the life she’s lived she knows better than to assume it’s <em>always </em>spam.</p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p>“Hi…” A hesitant voice says on the other end. The voice sounds young, and feminine, and instantly she’s on edge. “Uh… This is Zari. I work with your brother Leonard.”</p>
<p>“You’re one of his friends that gut turned into a kid?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Listen, him and Sara are out right now at a parent teacher conference but Mick just got arrested and we need an adult to go to the station and get him.”</p>
<p>Oh, oh this is going to be good.</p>
<p>As Zari explains further how much the bail is and what little information she got from the police Lisa is already moving around the house, gathering up her shoes and jacket, and telling Zari she’s on her way and she’ll call when she’s on her way back to her ship with Mick.</p>
<p>“I’ll call Lenny and explain.” She finishes, because no way in the world is she letting someone else have the pleasure of informing her brother that Mick couldn’t keep the heat off himself even with a second shot at adolescence.</p>
<p>“Kay, he might not pick up cause of the whole parent-teacher conference thing.”</p>
<p>Lisa grins to herself. The only thing better than ruining Lenny’s plans, is ruining Lenny’s plans with several missed calls.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mick is alone in the holding cell, and has been for the past hour. He’s pretty sure he spent a good portion of his actual teen years in this very cell, even if it’s been remodeled and the wooden bench has been replaced by a metal one. Even so there are still deep pencil carvings etched into the surface, names and cartoony images of lightening bolts and stick figures. Some things never change.</p>
<p>Some things apparently includes Lisa posting his bail.</p>
<p>She’s frowning with her arms crossed when the cop brings her to the cell and opens the door to release him to her. He huffs and gets off the bench. Lisa watches him as he trudges over to her side. She doesn’t say anything but he knows that is only for the benefit of keeping his cover. Soon as they’re alone she’ll be laughing it up, he’s sure of it.</p>
<p>Or maybe not.</p>
<p>They go through the release process with her barely looking at him and talking very professionally to the cop, apologizing profusely and promising to relay everything they’ve told her to his parents. Afterwards when they’re leaving the station she remains quiet, her face stoic, even after they’re in her car and driving away.</p>
<p>“What were you thinking?” She finally asks once they’re a solid five blocks out from the station, her voice calm and disappointed.</p>
<p>This is not what he’s used to dealing with when Lisa bails him out, even when she’s mad.</p>
<p>“I was thinking I don’t want to be stuck like this.”<br/>“So you torched a guy?”</p>
<p>She takes her eyes off the road for half a second, long enough to look at him with a pleading and disappointed expression.</p>
<p>“I always torch guys.” He shrugs, not seeing the big deal, especially when she knows it. “It’s faster.”</p>
<p>“Yeah well when you’re doing that you’re a middle-age arsonist with a rap sheet.”</p>
<p>He rolls his eyes and the car gets quiet again until they’re stopped at a red light, and then it’s like the quiet is too much.</p>
<p>“The cops wanted to know how a fifteen-year-old kid got his hands on a flamethrower.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t dignify that with a response. The cops had asked him at least five times where his gun came from; he didn’t talk.</p>
<p>“I told them I have no idea where you got it.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>She glares at him, and then the light turns green and she turns her eyes back to the road and driving.</p>
<p>“They went through your records.”</p>
<p>“What records?” He scoffs, “Don’t have ‘em anymore.”</p>
<p>“Except for you do.”</p>
<p>Ok, now he’s lost.</p>
<p>He looks at her, but she’s still focused out on the road ahead.</p>
<p>“The ones Gideon faked for you.”<br/>“There’s no jail time on those.” He reminds her, but it sounds more like he’s trying to convince himself. He never actually bothered to check Gideon’s work, if she decided to pen in some Juvie time he’s gonna reprogram her.</p>
<p>“No.” Lisa agrees, “According to those you were adopted three years ago and just moved to Central City. You have four siblings who are also adopted, and one of them has a baby of her own.”</p>
<p>“What’s your point?”</p>
<p>“Mick,” She near seethes, “Things aren’t like they were when we were kids. Rules have gotten tighter, and frankly I’m not sure you would’ve gotten away with what you did today back then.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t get away with it.” He growls, “In case you didn’t notice.”</p>
<p>“I’m not talking about the cops being called.” She snarls, “You’re the new kid in town, you attacked someone with a flamethrower, and then the cops couldn’t get ahold of your parents so they had to call me, and I still have a record.”</p>
<p>He snorts, and clearly that is not the right answer here.</p>
<p>“They know who I am, and thanks to Zari telling them she was calling your aunt it’s not going to take long for them to figure out Lenny is the guy posing as your father.”</p>
<p>This time he stays quiet, his eyes locked on the city passing by out the window. Her point is sinking in; he might’ve just blown the whole mission.</p>
<p>But she’s not done driving the guilt in.</p>
<p>“They want to come to the house and see what’s going on with your family.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s silent on the bridge.</p>
<p>Sara, Leonard, and Lisa stand around the holotable, all the “kids” banished off to their rooms.</p>
<p>“So what do we do?”</p>
<p>The fact that the question comes from Leonard, the one of them who <em>always </em>has a plan, speaks to how screwed they truly are.</p>
<p>“Morgan might not even be in Central anymore.” Sara offers, and the way Leonard looks at her does nothing to put her mind at ease. He looks afraid.</p>
<p>“If we leave this will look worse.”</p>
<p>She nods, he’s right.</p>
<p>“Barry erased your record awhile ago, remember?” Lisa tenderly offers, but Leonard doesn’t look particularly convinced.</p>
<p>“People remember.” He replies, “Even under a false name my face is going to raise some red flags, probably more so.”</p>
<p>“We’ll deal with that when we get there.” Sara decides, “We can convince them you’re turning over a new leaf. Right now the important thing to worry about is them coming to the house, because six kids aren’t living there.”</p>
<p>“The cop told me they would send someone down the day after tomorrow, so we have a day. Our old rooms still look kind of kiddish, just need some cleaning. The basement is finished, the biggest problem will be getting beds.” Lisa supplies but honestly Sara is still stuck on her and Leonard’s old rooms looking “kiddish”, and Leonard is glaring at his sister, hard.</p>
<p>A thought crosses her mind but she pushes it away. Now isn’t the time to wonder about just which safe house this is.</p>
<p>“According to the records we just moved here.” She says, “We can get away with less than six beds, but we’re gonna need a substitute, and something for Behrad.”</p>
<p>“And <em>not </em>the crib that’s in the attic.” Leonard interjects, still glaring at Lisa to some degree. “That thing is so far out of code they’d take him away just for that.”</p>
<p>Lisa nods, “I’ll go back and set up the pull out. You guys deal with your team tonight and come check on the house tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, that sounds like a plan. “Thanks Lisa.”</p>
<p>“No problem.”</p>
<p>With that Lisa leaves, her eyes lingering on the two of them just for a fraction of a second before she disappears out the door, and then Sara finds herself looking to Leonard.</p>
<p>He’s looking down at the holotable, his gaze distant. She can only imagine what’s going through his mind right now. It’s more than the mission now; it’s the fate of the team. If they don’t come off as good parents to the cops then suddenly they’re going to be down to just the two of them in finding Morgan, and they’re going to have a whole other mission once they do. But this isn’t just another cover. The cops in this town know him, and that will work against them</p>
<p>Then there’s the house, and his history with situations like this, and how the cops never did anything for him-</p>
<p>“We should re-scan the team.” He says, brining her back into the moment. “Make sure we know what we’re working with.”</p>
<p>She nods, her eyes even with his.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She says, “And then we need to talk.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t look thrilled with the idea of that, but he nods</p>
<hr/>
<p>For one reason or another getting the entire team to submit to more brain scans is as simple as mentioning it. In Leonard’s opinion they know they’re in hot water and now is not the time to argue with any sort of orders.</p>
<p>Behrad’s scan comes back that his mental age and physical age are in sync, which isn’t a surprise but it’s still hard to hear. The good news is that according to Gideon he’ll likely start ageing forward now at a normal pace.</p>
<p>Ok, it isn’t the brightest of bright sides, but beggars can’t be choosers.</p>
<p>Zari, Nate, and Mick are all a littler harder to determine because while they are regressing they apparently all still have an adult mind. Gideon put all three of them in the range of early-thirties mentally, which they can work with.</p>
<p>John and Charlie are another story.</p>
<p>When Charlie’s scan comes back it turns out she has slipped back to eleven-years-old mentally, and John isn’t doing much better testing in at thirteen.</p>
<p>“The first part of their minds to deteriorate appears to be emotional maturity.” Gideon explains after revealing all the results, and using Behrad’s as a layout of sorts. “After that memories will begin to fade and clash with the cover story you all have created. Once that alteration is complete the effects on the team will be near-identical to time drift”</p>
<p>Gideon sounds sorry, and Leonard knows she is. None of them want this, and truth be told he doesn’t think any of them expected things were already this bad. He can tell by the horror on John’s face alone that even though some of them had suspicions this is far worse than what they thought. He’s guessing John thought Charlie was only beginning to revert, and he certainly didn’t suspect himself.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna go put Behrad to bed.” Zari breaks the silence, leaving with her brother already dozing in her hold.</p>
<p>There are another few seconds of quiet, of them all looking around at one another before Sara finally breaks it.</p>
<p>“I think that’s a good idea for all of us.”</p>
<p>On the tail end of her words she gives him a look, and he’s sure the others see it; the two of them are not going to bed.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sara leaves the med bay right on the heels of the rest of the team while Leonard lingers inside. It’s an understanding. They’ll talk, they just need some separation first, and Sara starts to wonder when it was they started having unspoken understandings again.</p>
<p>She pushes the thought away.</p>
<p>This very well might be a fluke, a product of a mission so personal and integral to the fate of the entire team. Personal feelings aside (ALL personal feelings) she and Leonard are still soldiers. They still know, when push comes to shove, when it’s time to put away the personal shit.</p>
<p>Which, might be what she’s dreading the most about their upcoming conversation.</p>
<p>Her thoughts don’t let up much as she goes into her room to wait out the team milling about the barracks and getting themselves ready for bed. Her room looks so different being only hers, not a trace of Ava in sight. All of her silk robes are gone from the closet, the amount of make-up on the vanity cut by more than half. Ava’s hair straightener, her fuzzy slippers, her business suits, they’re all gone.</p>
<p>Sometimes Sara wonders if she should feel guilty about liking her room better this way.</p>
<p>It isn’t that she didn’t like having Ava’s things in here, of course she did. She loved Ava, a part of her still does, and she <em>loved </em>that Ava was willing to move onto the Waverider rather than keeping on her train of trying to convince Sara to move to DC. Although, to be fair, a big part of that had been Ava’s rotten luck in finding a new job.</p>
<p>Regardless, Sara hadn’t minded one bit sharing her space with Ava. But now it looks so much like <em>her </em>space. It’s her handful of make-up on the vanity, her leather jackets in the closet. It’s her dual straightener/curling iron charging on the top of the dresser. There’s a pile of laundry on the floor and clean laundry in the hamper, because she hasn’t had time to fold it yet and it doesn’t have to get done right away anymore.</p>
<p>Still, she can’t help but miss the days when there was a blue envelope of playing cards on the desk.</p>
<p>She groans, that is too much thought for her to be dealing with before heading into whatever her conversation with Leonard is going to be. Speaking of which, she may as well head to the bridge now. The rest of the team should be done by now with the bathroom and all holed away in their own rooms.</p>
<p>As expected the hall is clear of anyone else, and while she knows it isn’t likely the entire team is truly in bed already she still stops when she hears barely-muffled crying coming from Charlie’s room.</p>
<p>She sighs, and debates whether she should bother or keep going. Everything is ringing in her head. From Gideon’s report to Charlie’s teacher’s words about letting her know she is safe and loved and all that kind of stuff. She wants to tell herself that doesn’t really matter, that Charlie isn’t really <em>that </em>far gone.</p>
<p>She sighs.</p>
<p>“Charlie?” She calls, knocking on the door. “Can I come in?”</p>
<p>By some miracle the door slides open, and when it does Sara is met with the sight of Charlie looking up at her. She’s sucking in quick little breaths and her cheeks are flushed, some glistening tracks stained on them from the tears shining in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Sara says, squatting down to her level. “It’s gonna be ok.”</p>
<p>She reaches forward on instinct to tuck a stray curl back into place but Charlie flinches away. Blinking, trying to figure out what to do, she lets her hand fall limp and draws it back into her.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna find Morgan and make her fix this, I promise.”</p>
<p>Charlie sniffles and nods. Sara doubts she actually feels any better, but nothing short of Morgan’s capture is going to help right now.</p>
<p>“Get some sleep.” She advises, nodding towards the room behind Charlie. “It’s been a long day. You’ll feel better after some rest.”</p>
<p>Charlie nods again “Nought.” She says, her voice broken.</p>
<p>“Night.” Sara returns, or she’s hoping it’s a return anyway.</p>
<p>It must be, because Charlie retreats back into the room and so she stands up, closes the door, and heads for the bridge.</p>
<p>Leonard is already there and waiting for her. His arms are crossed and he’s leaning against the back of his flight seat. He sees her and instantly he stiffens, and so does she. It takes a conscious effort for her to step fully onto the bridge, all of her thoughts swimming through her mind.</p>
<p>And boy there are a lot of them.</p>
<p>“Where should we start?” She asks, ambling towards him. He gives a halfhearted shrug, and paces to the backside of his chair and leans on his arms on the top of it.</p>
<p>“Your call.” He shrugs, “Could start with the witch, could start with the team. Could start with…”</p>
<p>He trails off, but the look in his eyes tells her he’s thinking there could be some other place to start. A conversation that, frankly, is long past due for them.</p>
<p>“We’ve been better lately.” She says, deciding they may as well take the plunge. “But if this cover is gonna work that’s gonna need to last.”</p>
<p>He nods straightens up, and then comes out from behind his chair to stand almost directly in front of her. His arms are crossed and he takes his time, pacing this small portion of the bridge before he finally leans his back against the holo-table and slouches down to be more level with her.</p>
<p>He doesn’t speak right away, and she isn’t going to force him. She lets him stare vacantly out ahead, gathering his thoughts.</p>
<p>“I missed four years.” He finally says. “A lot changed.”</p>
<p>She nods, leaning onto the table as well, but not quite in his space.</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“You’re different now.”</p>
<p>She nods, “A little.” She agrees, and she eyes him carefully. “That a bad thing?”<br/>He looks over at her, meeting her eyes with perhaps the most intent gaze since he’s been back.</p>
<p>“No.” He says, giving a small shake of his head before he turns it back out. “I just…. It’s hard, knowing I wasn’t here. I know what happened between you and your girlfriend wasn’t completely my fault but... I think we both know I could’ve been a little nicer.”</p>
<p>She purses her lips and considers that. His return to the team came at a… a weird time, in terms of where she and Ava were. They were in between fights, but still very much together. He had returned only a day after a particularly heated argument and ended up witnessing the later hash-out, during which he was quick to tell Ava to shove it. (In the least aggressive way he could’ve, in Sara’s opinion.)</p>
<p>“Maybe.” She says, “I don’t know. Ever since the break-up I’ve been focusing on missions and the team more and… It’s been easy. And I don’t think it’s supposed to be this easy to get over someone.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t give much more than a slight nod in response to that.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t this easy to get over you.”</p>
<p>That’s when he looks back to her.</p>
<p>She pulls his ring from her finger and puts it down next to him, both of them staring at it even as she continues her words.</p>
<p>“I never told her about it.” She confesses, “I don’t know if she thought anything of it. I’m sure she noticed, my other rings I change out but... never that one.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t say anything, but really what is she expecting him to say? He never asked her to wear that ring, for crying out loud he didn’t even give it to her. He planted it on Mick after knocking him out. Mick gave it to her shortly after she became captain. A reminder, he’d said, to always remember how quick a plan could go sideways.</p>
<p>As if she could ever forget.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re back.” She says, “I know it hasn’t been easy, coming back to a new team and Mick and I have changed so much, especially me. But I think we needed you keeping us on track more than we realized.”</p>
<p>She bows her head when he still doesn’t say anything, folding her hands together.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to pull you guys back.” He says, and when she looks up she sees his shining eyes meeting hers; his expression more open than she thinks she has ever seen before.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>He takes a breath, “You’ve changed, I haven’t. I still have my darkness Sara, and most of it is inside that house we’re supposed to bring a cop or social worker into.”</p>
<p>It’s the closest to admittance that he is ever going to give her; indirect but answering every question she has.</p>
<p>She reaches out with one hand and gingerly takes one of his. He lets her, his eyes trained on their hands as they weave together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here we are seven months later! So sorry everyone, this story was really driving me crazy, in that I had no idea what I was doing with it. I ended up taking a little break that turned into a LONG break, but if you're still interested in reading, I think I know what I'm doing now and would love to have you along for the rest of the ride!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sara wakes up it isn’t morning yet. Well, not what normal people consider to be morning anyway. It’s a little after two according to her phone and the reason she’s woken is very obviously the sounds of crying coming from down the hall. She groans as she forces herself to sit up and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. It’s even more of a force to get out of the bed, but Behrad isn’t likely to calm himself and she certainly doesn’t want to listen to this all night.</p>
<p>She pads across her floor and out into the hall, where she bumps right into Zari.</p>
<p>She almost considers turning back to bed; let Zari deal with her brother. But some practical corner of her brain that is still functioning reminds her of the spell, and time drift, and she may not know how to slow the progression of the spell but she does know to slow time drift you have to hold onto yourself.</p>
<p>Zari can’t buy into the cover that Behrad is her son.</p>
<p>“Go back to bed.” She murmurs, rubbing sleep from her eyes.</p>
<p>“I can get him.” Zari insists, and Sara shakes her head.</p>
<p>“You have school in the morning.” She argues, and she sees Zari scoff but she doesn’t allow her the chance to argue. “Go on. Teenage bodies need more sleep.”</p>
<p>It’s a thin excuse, and she’s sure Zari knows it, but she turns away anyway.</p>
<p>“Wake me if you need help.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, then starts again for Behrad’s room. He’s sleeping in a crib fabricated by Gideon, and briefly Sara wonders the merits of taking it to the house tomorrow. She has to push those thoughts from her mind though when she walks into Behrad’s room to find he isn’t in the crib, but on the storage crate they’d dragged in here and fashioned into a changing table, with Leonard grumbling as he lifts his legs into the air with one hand.</p>
<p>Sara blinks as her eyes adjust to the light, and Len glances over to her before turning his attention back down to Behrad.</p>
<p>“You can go back to bed.” He says, “Get the next one.”</p>
<p>She hums, but instead of leaving she walks deeper into the room and slides Behrad’s ankles between her fingers, freeing up Leonard’s second hand to aid in getting the soiled diaper out from under Behrad.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” He says.</p>
<p>“Mmhm.”</p>
<p>They work in silence after that. Well, he works; she holds Behrad’s legs above his head and smiles down at him. At some point Behrad seems to notice her and so she takes the opportunity to use her free hand to tickle his belly, cooing at him and giggling along as his sounds turn from cries to laughs.</p>
<p>Soon Len has his diaper changed and Sara scoops him up off the crate while Len is throwing the dirty diaper into the special container Gideon made for them.</p>
<p>“Ok,” Len sighs, “Now we just have to get him back to sleep.”</p>
<p>“Hm.” Sara hums in agreement, dodging Behrad’s little hand as he reaches up for her mouth. “You go back to bed, I’ll get him down.”</p>
<p>“You sure?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She nods, “You spend more time with him during the day than I do.”</p>
<p>That isn’t entirely true, at least she doesn’t think so off the top of her head. They try to split up whose in charge of Behrad as evenly as they can, and they’ve been doing a pretty decent job at it in her opinion.</p>
<p>She’s pretty sure he would agree with that but he leaves anyway.</p>
<p>“Ok buddy.” She whispers, beginning a circle around the room. “Gideon, dim the lights please.”</p>
<p>The lights go down, and Sara rocks Behrad gently, up and down, and then sighs as she does so.</p>
<p>“I swear buddy, if you had your mind right now you would be loving this.” She says, “I know you think – thought – Leonard and I have some unresolved feelings, and you’re right, so I’m sure you’d be loving us playing mom and dad.”</p>
<p>She pauses there and glances down to see Behrad’s eyes starting to droop.</p>
<p>Playing mom and dad indeed.</p>
<p>She shudders with her next breath and lays Behrad down in the crib rather abruptly. He squirms and grunts a bit as she slips her hands from under him but she remedies that quickly with a gentle hand running along his stomach and a whispered instruction for him to go to sleep.</p>
<p>She withdraws her hand slowly and watches him for a moment with a small frown.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna fix this.” She quietly promises, and then she tip-toes out of the room and doesn’t let her feet fall flat until halfway back to her own room.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Despite the late night wake up call Leonard finds himself waking earlier than usual in the morning, and that is really saying something. He lies awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, for all of two seconds before he decides he may as well get up and get some coffee before the crew of mentally deteriorating Legends is up and squabbling like true siblings.</p>
<p>He gets dressed and heads for the galley, where he finds Mick, Heywood, and Zari already up. Well, sort of. They’re all there, and dressed, but to say they’re awake might be a bit of a stretch.</p>
<p>Zari is scrolling on her phone, a half eaten banana in her other hand. Nate is sitting on the stool next to her and stifling a yawn with a bowl of cereal in front of him, and Mick is over in the corner with an energy drink.</p>
<p>“Morning.” He says to the three of them, and the responses he gets are all grumbled but they’re more or less coherent.</p>
<p>There are also only two of them; Mick remains silent.</p>
<p>He eyes his partner for a moment while grabbing a mug for his coffee. He knows Mick isn’t exactly enjoying the second chance at his youth, but he’s been more broody lately than he was the first time around; it’s disconcerting.</p>
<p>As he’s trying to figure out what to say, internally debating between criticizing Mick’s choice of breakfast and out-right asking him what’s with the doom and gloom act, Mick gives him one hell of a side eye and he decides to just worry about his coffee for now.</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m going to Libby’s after school.” Zari suddenly says, “I need to bring Behrad.”</p>
<p>Or not.</p>
<p>Zari’s swiveled in her stool, her phone still in her hand but she isn’t looking at it. She’s looking at him. Imploringly. Waiting for permission.</p>
<p>That sets a weight in his chest he’ll be discussing with Sara later.</p>
<p>“Who’s Libby?” He manages to ask, somehow.</p>
<p>“The girl with the daughter who might know where to find Morgan.”</p>
<p>Right.</p>
<p>“Ok. Why do you need your brother?”</p>
<p>Zari clicks her tongue, her eyes rolled up in a very teenage expression that fits concernedly well on her face.<br/>“I need my <em>son </em>because she has a two-year-old.”</p>
<p>“So you want to bring a five-month-old?”</p>
<p>Zari rolls her eyes fully, he merely raises an eyebrow and takes his mug out from under the coffee maker and takes a sip.</p>
<p>“I realize you and Sara were spared from the hell that is reliving puberty-”</p>
<p>“Because posing as the parents of you six is such a treat.”</p>
<p>She huffs.</p>
<p>“Well if you want it to end we need to find Morgan, and so far we have exactly one lead on her. So I suggest you let me take Behrad after school, introduce him to a little friend, and play the part of teen mom so we can all get this nightmare over with.”</p>
<p>He thinks on that for a moment, and he’s sure she can see the thoughtfulness on his face, but he doubts she knows what part of that he’s thinking about.</p>
<p>Let me.</p>
<p>Zari Tarazi, and from what he knows Zari Tomaz, would never suggest to anyone they should “let her” do anything. Not unless, maybe, she were fully planning to go ahead anyway. He may still be somewhat new to this team, but he’s seen the fire in her eyes when her mind is made up and someone is daring to stand in her way.</p>
<p>That fire is not there now.</p>
<p>She is asking. She is genuinely asking him to let her do something.</p>
<p>“Sara and I will be at the house, fixing it up. You remember the address?”</p>
<p>She nods and halfheartedly holds up her phone, as if to signal him she’s saved the address in there. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>He just nods, and decides it doesn’t matter how he feels about her putting the address of his childhood home in her phone. She needs to remember it, and he knows she is by far the least likely person to lose a phone.</p>
<p>“Don’t bring your friend with you.”</p>
<p>“I know.” She says, an air of attitude to her voice as she turns back to her breakfast.</p>
<p>He lets the attitude go, for now.</p>
<p>He’s not ready to be at the point of correcting that yet.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After dropping John and Charlie off at school Sara walks to the address Leonard gave her for the house, lost in her thoughts.</p>
<p>After Lisa’s remark last night about how their old rooms still “look kiddish” she knows this isn’t going to be just any old safe house. She can’t help but wonder why Leonard gave Gideon this, out of all the possible addresses he could’ve given. She’s sure he has his reasons, and she’s certain that whatever they are they’re pragmatic. He probably used this address because of the location, or because it’s an actual house. Whatever his reasons they have to be good ones, because something like this is far more personal than she’s ever known him to be comfortable sharing with the team; especially a team of strangers.</p>
<p>A lump forms in her throat and she swallows it down, she’s almost there.</p>
<p>The house is small, with white paneling stained by dirt and front steps overgrown by the bushes on the sides. The front door is wide open, and when she steps inside she finds a living room on her left with a pull out all set up and Lisa spreading blankets out onto it.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She says, looking up at Sara.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Sara returns, “How’s it going?”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Lisa says with a shrug, “Lenny’s upstairs. My friend Shawna is kind of popping in and out, she’s getting stuff from our other safe houses. Trying to make this place look less abandoned.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, and decides that in that case she won’t close the door behind her.</p>
<p>“Len has Behrad?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Lisa says, “He um… He got your AI to replicate another crib but this time in pieces so we could move it. He’s trying to put it together up there.”</p>
<p>Sara snorts, oh she can’t wait to see this. Not that she doubts Leonard’s ability to assemble a crib; it’s just that she’s heard cribs are notorious for giving even the greatest builders a run for their money.</p>
<p>Judging by the amused gleam in Lisa’s eyes she’d bet she’s already checked on her brother, and it’s going about as well as Sara is thinking.</p>
<p>She makes her way up the stairs and about halfway up she hears a frustrated growl come from somewhere above her and snickers to herself. The top of the stairs lets out into a narrow hallway with wood paneling making up the floors as well as the walls, though on the walls it’s almost paper thin strips and it looks like it’s seen far better days. For all the dark wood it’s fairly well lit, though that is probably because every door is wide open and the shades of all the windows are up.</p>
<p>Leonard is in a room on the left side, crouched in a far corner with Behrad in a Pack ‘n’ Play set up at the foot of the bed, happily tugging on a flap of a special baby peek-a-boo blanket.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she says as she enters the room and has a look around. The walls are a depressing dark green color, and the bedspread is a worn but decent blue quilt.</p>
<p>There’s a wooden dresser with a vanity mirror, but no chair, and a sliding door on the right side wall she’s guessing leads to a closet.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He returns, screwing a bolt into place on the crib. “I think I’ve got a plan.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” She says with a smirk, and just then Behrad appears to notice her and begins squealing delightedly, clapping his hands together. She smiles at him, and bends down into the Pack ‘n’ Play to lift him into her arms. “What’s that?”</p>
<p>Len sighs, and gets to his feet.</p>
<p>“Basements finished, but there’s no heat.” He says, and then he nods to Behrad. “He’s on the forms as Zari’s kid, so it makes sense for them to share a room, but I’m not sure about sticking Charlie in with a baby.”</p>
<p>He pauses a moment as Behrad starts to squirm in her hold, and he waits until she has him adjusted to the point of being semi content.</p>
<p>“John and Charlie are below puberty age, so them sharing a room shouldn’t raise any red flags. I was thinking Zari and him in here, since it’s big enough for a crib. Mick and Heywood can share my old room, since the wallpaper doesn’t have ponies on it. John and Charlie in Lisa’s old room, and we’ll tell them you and me are sleeping on the pullout until we can get heat in the basement.”</p>
<p>She nods along, Behrad now settled on her hip and happy to look around the room from this new vantage point. Those sleeping arrangements all seem very practical, and she has to remind herself they don’t actually need to be following them. It’s just for show; to prove they’re capable parents and avoid having the problem of their team being taken away on their hands.</p>
<p>She also notices how Len isn’t bothering to try and hide what this place is, just like he didn’t last night. He’s just accepting that she knows, and she isn’t sure what she’s supposed to do with that.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She says, “What about beds?”</p>
<p>He inclines his head out to the hallway and the rooms beyond them.</p>
<p>“There’s a twin in my room and in Lisa’s. We can throw an air mattress in my room for now, we should be able to get away with being short one bed.”</p>
<p>“One?” She asks, knowing by those calculations he’s still missing one, and Leonard Snart does not miscalculate.</p>
<p>“Lisa’s was a hand me down from our grandparent’s house and is half of a bunk bed; the other half is in the attic with the ladder. Once I’m done here you want to help me bring it down?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” She says, and Behrad starts to whimper in her arms, something they’ve started to figure out is a precursor to his hungry cry. “He eat yet?”</p>
<p>“No, sorry.” Len answers.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, it’s like barely time for him to eat.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t say anything to that, which is fine. He nods and goes back to the crib so she takes Behrad downstairs and finds his diaper bag on a chair at the kitchen table.</p>
<p>They’re going to need more chairs too.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, I’m working on it.” She says as Behrad starts to escalate from whimpering to full on crying.</p>
<p>She growls to herself and fishes through the bag for the instant formula Gideon had made for them. Once she gets that and the bottle it’s just a matter of putting it together, filling it with warm water, and microwaving it. Not a hard task, unless of course you have a crying baby on your hip with his volume increasing by second.</p>
<p>“Behrad…” She groans “Behrad please… GAH!”</p>
<p>She jumps back when she turns around and a woman literally appears in front of her. She’d be disappointed in herself for such a reaction, except she’ll grant herself that Behrad is sufficiently distracting and the woman did materialize out of thin air.</p>
<p>“Sorry! Sorry!” The woman says; she looks a bit like Charlie, in all honesty. Not in facial structure at all, but the same style in both fashion and hair.</p>
<p>A part of her almost considers that somehow Charlie has re-aged, albeit with a lighter skin tone, face shape, and body type. And lost her accent. Maybe she could convince herself Charlie does still have a trace enough amount of her powers to change her appearance so slightly, but not to re-age. Besides, there are two other major flaws in that explanation. Charlie is terrible at masking her accent, and she would be very, very smug about catching her off guard so easily.</p>
<p>“I’m Shawna.” The woman says, holding out a hand. “Lisa’s friend. She tell you I was popping in and out?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Sara breathes, “I didn’t think she meant literally.”</p>
<p>Shawna smirks, and Sara looks down to her once-free hand but it’s now occupied with the bottle supplies.</p>
<p>“Do you want a hand?”</p>
<p>“Uh…” Sara considers for a moment, though mostly she’s considering what would be the best thing to ask Shawna to help her with.</p>
<p>Behrad is in a full-blown tantrum by this point, his face turning red as he screams his little lungs out, very impatient for food and a shrill reminder that he is not the Behrad they knew anymore.</p>
<p>“Can you fill this with warm water?” She finally says, using her fingers to tip the empty bottle up towards Shawna.</p>
<p>She nods and takes the bottle.</p>
<p>“Just, like, three-quarters of the way.” She says, now putting the formula packet on the kitchen counter so she can shift her other hand to Behrad’s back.</p>
<p>She tries rocking him, shushing him, even whispering for him to shut up and that his food his coming, but none of it does an ounce of good. The only thing that helps at all is when Shawna finishes his bottle and Sara is able to sit down and get him to realize that object she’s shoving in his face is exactly what he wants.</p>
<p>Once he’s sucking down the formula she and Shawna share a collective sigh of relief, and then the ensuing silence is very much enjoyable.</p>
<p>“So… You’re Sara, right?”</p>
<p>Well, for a few seconds.</p>
<p>Sara looks up, seeing that now Shawna is leaning against the counter, on her elbows, thus keeping the counter between them. A barrier.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She answers, a pit forming in her stomach. “Why?”</p>
<p>“No reason.” Shawna answers with a shrug that Sara doesn’t believe any more than she believes the words. “Lisa’s mentioned you is all, says Lenny talks about you sometimes when talking with her; and not always the best things.”</p>
<p>Oh she can imagine. But she tries to quash down the anger that comes with the new knowledge. Her and Leonard have talked; they know where they stand now with each other. Well… more or less. More than they did whenever these conversations with Lisa took place.</p>
<p>Shawna bites at the corner of her lip and stares Sara down, her expression not angry but… almost thoughtful.</p>
<p>“Lenny doesn’t talk about many people.” She finally says, “Just… Keep that in mind.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Closing his locker Nate heaves a sigh. Another day back in high school down, and probably another one to go. This whole thing sucks. True, he doesn’t have it the worst. He isn’t John or Charlie, or Behrad. Poor Behrad. But still, his teen years were awkward enough the first time around.</p>
<p>“So what happened to you guys?”</p>
<p>The voice is sudden, right behind him, and so he thinks it’s understandable that he shouts and jumps, his eyes wide when he whirls around to see Lita standing there with her arms crossed over herself and looking rather unimpressed.</p>
<p>Crap.</p>
<p>“Um… I uh… I don’t know, sorry, have we met?” He scrambles to ask, and he is going to ignore the amount of times his voice cracks when he speaks.</p>
<p>“Nate I know it’s you.” Lita deadpans, “Just like I know it’s my dad who keeps skipping out of bio, and Zari giving him the death glare every time.”</p>
<p>“Oh thank god.” He breathes in relief. “Who told you?”</p>
<p>“No one, you guys aren’t exactly being subtle.” She answers, and he isn’t sure if that’s supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing, given the situation. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”</p>
<p>Let the record show he is well aware her offer to give him a ride is only a ploy to get answers out of him, but let the record also show that he doesn’t care. He adjusts his backpack on his shoulders and follows her through the crowded halls. She doesn’t ask anything more about what’s happened as they walk through the school, only pulls her keys from the water bottle net of her backpack.</p>
<p>“Where are my dad and Zari?” She asks as they get down to the first floor, her voice hushed to avoid being overheard among the flood of students bustling around, most of them heading for the doors.</p>
<p>“Mick’s probably already on the bus.” He answers, looking around but not seeing Mick. “Zari’s going to some girl’s house so she’s probably with her.”</p>
<p>Lita nods, “Ok, just you and me then.”</p>
<p>She doesn’t sound overly thrilled about it, and Nate will try not to take offence to that.</p>
<p>He follows her out to the far end of the parking lot where she leads him to a beat up little green Ford that is probably going on ten years old easy. She opens her back door first and tosses her bag in, and he does the same on the passenger side. Once they’re in and settled she buckles up, turns the car on, and pulls out of her spot to join the traffic line of students eager to get out of here.</p>
<p>“So what happened?” She asks again and he sighs.</p>
<p>“We were fighting a witch.”</p>
<p>“A witch who turned you into teenagers?” She asks, an eyebrow raised, and this time his sigh boarders on that of a groan.</p>
<p>“We’re not all teenagers.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Just me, your dad, and Zari got turned into teenagers. Charlie and John are eight, and Behrad’s a baby.”</p>
<p>He watches her reaction. Her eyes are wide and her lips parted with shock.</p>
<p>“Shit.” She finally whispers, “What about Sara and Snart?”</p>
<p>“They weren’t hit.” He says, and somehow she looks even more thrown by that.</p>
<p>“So what? They’re like, parenting you guys?”</p>
<p>“Pretty much.” He laughs, “They’re actually getting along a lot better. You know Ray and your dad used to tell me Sara and Snart were like, a thing, back when it was the OG Legends team and now I can totally see it.”</p>
<p>Lita snorts, then takes a second to focus on driving and turning into the main line of traffic.</p>
<p>“So where’s the Waverider?”</p>
<p>“Back of S.T.A.R. Labs.” He says, “But Sara and Snart are fixing up a place on Highland Ave. for a CPS visit tomorrow, I’m supposed to go there to help out.”</p>
<p>Lita gives him a look at that. An eyebrow raised and a question practically screaming on her face.</p>
<p>“You’re dad got arrested last night.” He explains and she shakes her head as she turns her eyes back to the windshield.</p>
<p>“Of course he did.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“We’re gonna need more blankets.” Sara comments, walking the mattress back with her as Leonard guides it forward, the two of them rocking it from side to side to get it across the room.</p>
<p>“Whoever they’re sending will probably come early tomorrow.” Len says, his eyes upwards to watch the top of the mattress and make sure it doesn’t get stuck on the doorframe. “We should have Gideon take care of that tonight.”</p>
<p>“You want to send Shawna to the Waverider?”</p>
<p>She can’t see him from the angle, not his expression anyway, but she can practically feel him frowning.</p>
<p>“Your ship, technically.” He eventually answers, and he adjusts his grip, a silent cue that they’re ready to lay the mattress flat. “Do you trust her there without us?”</p>
<p>She pauses for a moment, and still doesn’t say anything as she follows his lead and adjusts her grip. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Shawna; in fact after their earlier conversation she might say she trusts Shawna as much as she would any of the Legends. She doubts Len would stand for someone other than Lisa calling him Lenny unless he trusted them completely, and if he trusts her she’ll-</p>
<p>The sound of a car door stops her thoughts in their tracks.</p>
<p>She and Len look around the ends of the mattress, their fears silently exchanged between each other. That door was definitely outside the house, but they don’t have a car to use. It could be whomever the police or CPS is sending here a day early, and they are not ready for that. They lean the mattress down to the left, setting it down as quickly as they can without crushing one of their feet on accident, and then hurry over to the window.</p>
<p>Leonard peels back the dirt stained curtains first, and he’s scowling by the time Sara stumbles to his side to look out at the street below.</p>
<p>There’s a car parked just in front of the house, an SUV that looks like it’s seen better days, and Zari is getting out of the passenger seat and talking happily to another teenage girl at the wheel.</p>
<p>Len is gone before Sara can try and understand the situation, but she follows him out of the room and by the time they’re halfway down the stairs Zari is already in the living room and taking Behrad from Lisa.</p>
<p>“What did I tell you about bringing your friend here?” Leonard demands, rounding off the bottom stair and into the living room.</p>
<p>Zari looks at him from the corner of her eye and suddenly Sara understands. She knows that look Zari is giving Leonard. She knows it very, very well. That is the look of someone who knows damn well that they have done exactly the opposite of what they were supposed to do.</p>
<p>“I didn’t bring her inside.” She shrugs, reaching down her free hand for the straps of Behrad’s diaper bag.</p>
<p>“Zari.” Len’s voice is a dangerous warning, one that almost makes Sara feel like she’s intruding on something.</p>
<p>“She gave me a ride.” Zari defends, her voice a scoff. “You don’t have a car, how was I supposed to get to her house?”<br/>Whatever Len is planning on saying to that gets cut off by the sound of another car door, and upon looking out the open front door Sara sees Nate coming up the front path.</p>
<p>With Lita.</p>
<p>Len looks too, and Sara can see his jaw set. She can almost see his thoughts as they unfold in his head. Everything starting to fall apart around them, tomorrow not going well, losing the team…</p>
<p>She shudders; maybe those are just her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Nate says when he and Lita come in. “What’s going on?”<br/>All eyes are on him now, even Lisa’s and Zari’s, or maybe it’s Lita they’re all looking at. No matter the case Nate does pick up on all the staring, albeit a bit late, and finally explains himself.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s cool. She figured it out on her own.”</p>
<p>Well, more or less.</p>
<p>Honestly Sara is just tired at this point. It’s been a long day of working on this house and they’re barely halfway done. Mick will be here any minute, and someone still needs to go pick up John and Charlie.</p>
<p>Oh, and Behrad is starting to fuss again as Zari’s strapping him into the baby carrier car seat.</p>
<p>Somehow, that is what she hones in on.</p>
<p>“Zari, how are you going to lock that in to your friends car?”</p>
<p>Zari rolls her eyes, as if the answer should be obvious.</p>
<p>“She has the adapter from Rachel’s old car seat in her trunk. She’s putting it in for me.”</p>
<p>“Whose Rachel?” Sara asks.</p>
<p>“Her daughter.” Zari answers, her tone absolutely dripping with distaste.</p>
<p>Sara glances around the room, and it’s obvious she isn’t the only one uncomfortable with Zari’s outburst. Lita and Nate are staring with wide eyes, their gazes darting between Zari and Sara and Leonard. Leonard, by the way, seems almost like he’s at a loss for words. Actually, Sara feels about the same thing. This is one of those odd moments she’s noticed is occurring more and more frequently lately. One of those things she feels like she should be handling as a parent, not a Captain.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She finally manages to say. “Whatever, just go. Lita, you’ve got a car?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Lita says with a nod, as Zari starts to head out with Behrad in tow.</p>
<p>“Ok, we need you and Nate to go to the Waverider, have Gideon fabricate three sets of sheets and blankets for twin beds and some curtains. Grab some other blankets, some pillows, and anything else you think belongs in the rooms of second graders or teenage boys.”</p>
<p>“Should we wait for Mick?” Nate asks, and Sara looks to Len, who shrugs.</p>
<p>“Up to you.” She decides, “Just get back and setting up as fast as you can. Leonard and I are going to pick up Charlie and John.”</p>
<p>She doesn’t hesitate then. She comes around the bottom of the staircase and starts for the door, Len following behind her.</p>
<p>“Both of you?” Nate asks before she can even set foot out of the house.</p>
<p>Right as he asks she sees Mick coming down the sidewalk, and if her decision weren’t already made it is now.</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Everything ok?” Libby asks, pulling Zari from her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>Libby shrugs, “Just, everything. You seemed kinda pissed walking out of the house, and half your family was standing in the doorway. Is everything ok?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah.” She says, “Yeah just my parents have been really stressed since we moved, and they didn’t want us bringing friends to the house until it was, like, not a total dump, and I think between you giving me a ride and Nate walking in with a girl it just sent them over the edge. They’ll get over it.”</p>
<p>Libby nods, and Zari tells herself that her logic is true. Snart and Sara <em>did </em>tell them not to bring people to the house, and then at the same time Libby dropped her off Nate showed up with Lita; which she’s sure he has his reasons for but that’s beside the point. Besides, it isn’t like when they’re all adults Sara and Snart don’t still get on their asses if they don’t listen. She’s worrying too much. What happened in there was just the usual Sara and Snart on edge. Nothing to do with her changing… regressing.</p>
<p>She shakes the thoughts from her mind and checks her phone, just to be sure no one’s texted her about what just went down, and then slips her phone back into her pocket. She also glances over her shoulder at Behrad in the backseat and smiles brightly when she sees him. He’s content, looking up and presumably out the windows at the world passing by.</p>
<p>“Thanks again for letting me borrow that seat lock.” She says, turning forward again. “I have no idea where his ended up in my stuff.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” Libby says as she pulls onto a side street, and a moment later into the driveway of a two story yellow house.</p>
<p>“Ok, here we are.”</p>
<p>As Libby puts the car in park Zari undoes her seatbelt. When they get out and around to the backseat she giggles loudly when she opens the door, as Behrad whirls his head to look at her.</p>
<p>“Hi baby.” She coos, “We’re here. You’re gonna make a friend here!”</p>
<p>It stings a little bit that he has no idea what she’s saying, but at the same time he’s just too cute of a baby for her to really dwell on it. She gets him out first, then her bag, and by the time she’s all situated Libby is already standing at the top of the driveway and waiting for her with an amused smirk on her face.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Zari apologizes, “I’m coming.”</p>
<p>“Oh don’t mind me.” Libby teases, “I’m just glad for once someone else is taking awhile getting the baby out of the car.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mick is going to kill Pretty.</p>
<p>What the hell was he thinking? Why was he even talking to Lita? She’s the one kid in that whole stupid school they shouldn’t be talking to. He didn’t think he had to say that, he thought his adamant avoiding her made it clear enough.</p>
<p>Apparently not.</p>
<p>So maybe it’s his own fault that he’s sitting in the backseat of her car right now, which by the way is littered with old coffee cups and sweatshirts. Pretty’s sitting up front, him and Lita singing to the radio like it’s the most normal thing in the world and, seriously, what the hell?</p>
<p>He grimaces as they try and hit a high note, mostly cause of Pretty, and tries to focus on something else.</p>
<p>Unfortunately the only other thing he can focus on isn’t something else entirely. It’s their situation as a whole.</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell if Pretty singing along and pretending he knows the words to whatever’s on the radio right now is him being the idiot he is, or him sliding backwards. They’re all slipping back quick, according to Gideon, and he doesn’t like to think about what’ll happen if it gets much worse.</p>
<p>He fixes his eyes on the back of Lita’s head. No, he doesn’t want to think about that at all.</p>
<p>He’s seen more than enough of time travel to know Gideon is telling the truth about what’ll happen to them if they stay like this for too long. Once they forget they’re really adults they’re forget their lives before. They’ll believe the cover story; they’ll have started over.</p>
<p>He’ll forget Lita.</p>
<p>Well, he won’t forget her, because like it or not he’ll still be seeing her, but he’ll forget who she is. He’ll forget Ali; he’ll forget how they’re two of the best damn things that ever happened to him.</p>
<p>He’s holding onto that.</p>
<p>Ali, Lita, and the team. The <em>adult </em>team. If he can just hold onto those memories then hopefully he can survive this mess with his brain mostly intact.</p>
<p>They pull into the parking lot for geek central and Pretty directs Lita to the back, warns her what marker not to pass lest she wants to ram her car into an invisible spaceship.</p>
<p>Timeship, whatever.</p>
<p>They get out of the car and Pretty calls down the ramp, and they have to move fast getting in because, you know, probably not the best if someone drives by and sees three teenagers walking up into a dark chasm floating ten feet off the ground.</p>
<p>“Ok.” Pretty says, “So we should probably start with-”</p>
<p>“You do that.” Mick huffs, already on his way to his room.</p>
<p>He’s sure Lita’s rolling her eyes. Definitely not the first time she’s done that at the back of his head, and it had better not be the last.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lita is absolutely rolling her eyes at her dad. If she hadn’t recognized him from old pictures – not to mention his name and recognizable teammates – she never would’ve known he’s actually a grown adult. He acts the part of a brooding teenager more than perfectly.</p>
<p>“Come on.” Nate says, cocking his head in the other direction.</p>
<p>She follows his lead down the halls, assuming he’s heading to the fabrication room, but instead he stops in the galley and goes over to the replicator so she takes a seat up at the counter.</p>
<p>“My dad seems to be handling this well.” She comments while Nate punches in a code for nachos.</p>
<p>“About as well as he handles anything else.” He agrees, “Don’t hold it against him.”</p>
<p>She shrugs, making no comment as he turns around with the nachos and the two of them dig into their snack. They eat in companionable silence for a minute.</p>
<p>“It’s gotta be weird for him.” Nate finally says, “I mean, being a teenager again is weird enough, but going to school with his daughter…”</p>
<p>She shrugs, “I guess.” She admits, “I just don’t get why he’s been avoiding me, you know? Like yeah, it’s weird, but I could help you guys.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Nate asks, his tone almost mocking. “Do you know where the medieval witch Morgan le Fay ran off to after we busted her sham daycare center?”</p>
<p>She pauses with a chip halfway to her mouth, trying to process all of that and formulate a response.</p>
<p>“No.” She finally admits, “But an extra set of eyes never hurt anyone.”</p>
<p>“True.” Nate says as he takes another chip. “Especially a set of eyes that doesn’t have to worry about losing her mind.”</p>
<p>She furrows her brow, leaning on her elbow and licking a globe of cheese from her thumb.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“The spell.” Nate says through his crunching. “The longer we’re stuck like this the more damage our brains suffer, so we’re all slowly sliding back to whatever age we’re at and forgetting our adult lives.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He says, almost unconcerned. “Behrad’s already gone, he’s a baby inside and out. Charlie and John are starting to slide; they’ve been throwing temper tantrums and Gideon said last night they’re mentally closer to eleven. The rest of us are still alright.”</p>
<p>“How can you be sure?”</p>
<p>He turns around and opens the fridge, pulls out two sodas, and places one down in front of her while he opens the other. All with an air of casualness that is, in her opinion, not suitable for this conversation.</p>
<p>“Gideon.” He says, “She’s scanning our brains every couple days.”</p>
<p>“Right…” Lita trails off, “But, if the mental regression is gradual, wouldn’t the fading memories be too?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Where did you go to college?”<br/>He opens his mouth, a word on the tip of his tongue, but he stops. There’s this thoughtful look on his face, and her heart stutters in her chest.</p>
<p>“O-Oxford.” He finally stutters and ok, it’s enough to restart her heart, but it isn’t enough to wipe away the look of fear on his face.</p>
<p>Or hers.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Getting John and Charlie from school takes a little longer than Leonard would have liked, and for reasons he most certainly doesn’t like.</p>
<p>Charlie comes over to them right away, a perplexed look on her little face like she wants to ask why they’re both here. She doesn’t ask, though, and it’s a little unnerving. It could be nothing, but after yesterday he doesn’t want to dismiss it entirely. Kids can be cruel, very cruel, and if her mental age is back down to eleven…</p>
<p>Sigh, then there’s John.</p>
<p>He’s running around the schoolyard with some other second grade boys, chasing them actually, and he only comes over when Sara calls.</p>
<p>“What were you doing?” She asks through a tired sigh when John finally comes bounding over and the four of them can start on their way back to the house.</p>
<p>John just shrugs, and Leonard rolls his eyes. He also, after a moment of consideration, reaches down and gently wraps his fingers around the looped top strap of Charlie’s backpack. Charlie looks up at him, and when he gives a light tug back she gets the hint and shrugs out of her straps without much thought to it. He loads the light bag onto his back, and when Sara glances at him he just shoots her a look that says he is well aware what he’s doing is treating Charlie like a child.</p>
<p>Sara looks back to the two kids walking just ahead of the two of them.</p>
<p>“You guys learn anything today?”</p>
<p>It’s a careful, but direct, question. Her words are chosen with consideration, and ask more than what they appear to.</p>
<p>“Now.” Charlie mutters, and John shakes his head.</p>
<p>The two of them exchange a look, that wasn’t helpful.</p>
<p>“You guys need to go to the fabrication room when we get back.” Leonard says, “Your room needs some toys, and a few books wouldn’t hurt.”</p>
<p>The mix of excitement and offence on their faces at his instructions are by far the strangest looks he thinks he has ever been fixed with, but at least they don’t argue with him. He and Sara walk them to the Waverider and they fabricate a few toys and books each; at least their cover stating they’re moving from overseas accounts for them traveling light.</p>
<p>As far as moving the new items from the Waverider and to the house Shawna can only help so much. So much as he can tell Mick is vastly uncomfortable having her here - and Len may not have been too thrilled about it when she first showed up - Lita and her car are a godsend. They’re able to move the rest of what they need much faster than they thought they would, and by the time the sun goes down they’re just bringing in the last load of child sized clothes.</p>
<p>“Ok.” Sara huffs, surveying the living room that is, quite frankly, a wreck. “Now we just have to get most of this sorted, and drag everyone back to the Waverider for the night.”</p>
<p>Leonard frowns, and glances around at the mess. The “kids” are all upstairs, sorting out their rooms. Though the last time he saw them Nate was playing with what used to be Behrad’s Switch, and John and Charlie were fighting over a toy car.</p>
<p>He sighs, “Maybe we should sleep here tonight.”</p>
<p>Sara looks at him, very obviously surprised, and he shrugs.</p>
<p>“We don’t know what time they’re coming tomorrow.” He reasons, “And we have enough beds here.”</p>
<p>She looks around the room again, and he doesn’t miss how her eyes linger on the pull out they’ve decided to tell the social worker they’re sharing. It’s overrun right now with clothes and some other odds and ends, but nothing they couldn’t clear off for a night.</p>
<p>“What about Lisa?” She finally asks, and he shrugs.</p>
<p>“She’ll figure something out.” He says, “Probably crash with Shawna or go intrude on Ramon. Worst case scenario she goes and stays in my room on the ship.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, her hands on her hips as she surveys the room again.</p>
<p>“Ok.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Jason delivers a swift kick to the fence post. It’s getting dark; he’ll have to go inside soon, great. Inside, where he can’t watch TV or play anything fun; all because of that stupid girl.</p>
<p>It’s not fair! It isn’t his fault she hit him, what was he supposed to do? Not hit back?</p>
<p>“Jason.”</p>
<p>He groans, very set on telling his mom he isn’t coming inside unless he can watch TV.</p>
<p>The words, however, die on his lips, when he turns around and the woman standing there isn’t his mom.</p>
<p>She’s pretty, in a long green dress with shiny white hair, and a small smile.</p>
<p>“Hi Jason.” She says, crouching down to him. “Would you like to go on an adventure?”</p>
<p>He stares at her, then looks back to his house, and when he looks at her again she hums softly.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry.” She says, “Your mom and dad won’t even know you’re gone.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sleeping at the house turns out to be just a bit more of a project than Sara had thought it would be. They decide to make dinner as easy as possible by ordering a few pizzas. In the past pizza night with the team has always consisted of three pizzas: meat lovers, combination, and vegetarian. Now though Sara’s debating if three is going to be too much; considering Zari still isn’t home and even if she were Behrad can’t eat pizza, and then John and Charlie’s stomachs are about half the size they usually are. But they also have Lita, Lisa, and Shawna over, and after all their help the least she can do is buy them dinner.</p>
<p>She decides to stick with three pizzas, and after a rallying protest for plain cheese by John and Charlie she gets that in place of Zari and Behrad’s usual vegetarian. She might have waited just a bit too long on ordering it, as it turns out hungry kids are no joke and massive pains to be dealing with.</p>
<p>Especially hungry kids who have no dinner routine in this house.</p>
<p>Hell, they barely have a dinner routine on the Waverider.</p>
<p>“I dond awnt ta stit dair!” Charlie shouts as Leonard helplessly puts her back in the chair at the end of the table<em>again.</em></p>
<p>Len sighs; Sara can tell he’s getting down to the end of his rope. She’d help, but a glance over at John in the chair at the other end of the table reminds her that Charlie isn’t the only one whose been making mad dashes away from dinner tonight.</p>
<p>In the time waiting for the pizza, she and John decided they “aren’t hungry anymore”, even though their attitudes and short tempers are providing evidence otherwise, and now they’re both refusing to eat.</p>
<p>So she does her best to only listen to Len and Charlie, while her eyes remain firmly trained on John and his plate still piled with a slice and a half of pizza.</p>
<p>“You have to sit somewhere Charlie.” Len tells her for the thousandth time.</p>
<p>“I awnt ta stit in dair!” Charlie shouts, much louder than necessary, with tears welling up in her eyes as she points past Len into the living room where Nate and Lita, who are finished with their dinner, are sitting at the foot of the pullout and playing one of Behrad’s video games.</p>
<p>Charlie tries to get up again but Len catches her and puts her back.</p>
<p>“You were sitting in there.” He reminds her, “And you didn’t eat anything. You can go back in there after you eat your pizza.”</p>
<p>The next thing Charlie says is more noise than potential words, it’s like a high-pitched snort and she tries to get up again but this time her butt barely makes it off the chair before Len guides her back down.</p>
<p>“Mmmhhhh!!!!” She whines, throwing herself forward again and yet again being placed back by Leonard. Sara is vaguely aware of her heart sinking in her chest as she watches Charlie erupt into a full-out childish tantrum when suddenly John gets up and bolts for the next room.</p>
<p>“Hey!” She shouts, dropping the pizza she’d been eating and chasing after him.</p>
<p>He has a wicked, maniacal grin on his face as he runs and jumps onto the pull out behind Lita and Nate.</p>
<p>“Whoa!” Nate says, and he and Lita stand up when she comes in hot on John’s trail.</p>
<p>What she sees next is a blur of sheets, pillows, and limbs as she climbs onto the bed and starts all but wrestling John, trying to pull him off. If he could laugh at her he definitely would, and so she’s going to be grateful for his mutism right now.</p>
<p>Or, later at least, when she doesn’t have his tiny hands smacking her in the face and the rest of him wiggling to get out of her hold.</p>
<p>“John… Come on.” She grunts as she drags him off the bed. “You need to… ugh!”</p>
<p>John breaks free of her hold and scrambles off behind her. She growls as he runs for the front hallway and she crawls back off the bed to go after him. By the time she reaches the hall, fortunately, Shawna is already there and has her arms locked around John.</p>
<p>“Whoa there…” She drawls, bent down over him and holding him flush against her. “Chill out there. Go eat your pizza, and then you can play. Ok?”</p>
<p>John nods against her, much to Sara’s annoyance, and when Shawna lets him go he scurries off into the kitchen and upon craning her neck Sara sees him plop down in his recently designated chair and pick up his pizza.</p>
<p>“Don’t take it personally.” Shawna says, turning back after also watching him. “Some kids will do anything as long as it’s not their parents asking.”</p>
<p>“I don’t even care.” Sara huffs and Shawna snickers, and right then Lisa comes out from around the corner with her bag slung over her shoulder and her cat nestled in her arms.</p>
<p>“Ok, we’re headed out.” She says, “Shawna’s place is two blocks away so if you need help tomorrow, give me a call.”</p>
<p>“We will.” Sara promises, “Thank you guys so much for everything.”</p>
<p>She meets Shawna’s eyes with that, and she sees something shimmering in them. Maybe regret, or maybe acknowledgment. Either way Sara knows it’s because she’s remembering their earlier conversation. So Sara gives Lisa’s cat a little scratch behind the ear and bids them goodbye, and right as Lisa opens the door Zari is standing there with her hand out like she was about to turn the knob.</p>
<p>Lisa and Zari look at each other for a moment before Lisa steps aside to let Zari in with Behrad in his car seat. She sets Behrad down in the hall and as Lisa and Shawna leave Sara watches Zari looking around the house, mainly into the living room at Nate, Lita, and the mess of partially unpacked belongings.</p>
<p>“Looks like you guys got a lot done.”</p>
<p>Sara bites back a comment about how she should’ve been helping.</p>
<p>“How was your play date?”</p>
<p>“Fine.” Zari shrugs, picking up Behrad’s carrier again and moving for the kitchen. “I wouldn’t really call it a play date, except maybe for Behrad and Rachel, but that was more Behrad sitting on a blanket and Rachel bringing him plastic fruit. It was actually really cute.”</p>
<p>She pauses, putting Behrad’s carrier down on one of the vacant chairs on the outside of the table. Peering under the canopy of the seat Sara can see Behrad is starting to blink his little eyes open.</p>
<p>“Mm, by the way.” Zari says as she picks up a slice of cheese pizza. “Libby gave me the number of her pediatrician. I know we have Gideon and everything but I wasn’t going to say no. Plus I was thinking for Behrad-”</p>
<p>Speaking of Behrad.</p>
<p>Sara sees what’s coming in his face only a split second before it happens. His eyes have opened fully and he’d started squirming, looking around, and then came where they are now.</p>
<p>Screaming.</p>
<p>It’s so sudden Zari jumps, and she thinks Leonard almost does the same. John covers his ears and leans back in his chair, as does Charlie. Sara winces and moves to take Behrad from the car seat but Zari beats her to it. She hurriedly unbuckles the straps and starts rocking him, whispering shushing sounds into his ear that don’t appear to be having any effect.</p>
<p>The panic rising on Zari’s face is obvious, but the second Sara steps forward to try and take Behrad she steps away – very deliberately – and an internal conflict wars on her face before she turns and marches back for the hall and up the stairs.</p>
<p>Which – of course – adds to the chaos.</p>
<p>“What the hell?!” Micks voice thunders from the second floor.</p>
<p>Sara thinks she hears Zari hiss something at him, and then she’s positive he shouts something back. All she knows for sure is the cries grow muffled as Zari closes the door of what Sara assumes is her assigned room and then there are stomping footsteps coming down the stairs and Mick plops into the chair in the corner of the living room with an audible growl.</p>
<p>Sara and Len look to each other, and then to John and Charlie who have finished only half their respective dinners at this point, and then back to each other.</p>
<p>Weary eyes meeting weary eyes.</p><hr/>
<p>Hours later, after Lita has gone home and the entire team is upstairs in their temporary bedrooms, Leonard is finally getting into the bathroom to clean up.</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh when he looks in the mirror. He’s seen himself look worse in his reflection, but generally it’s after a rough job and/or a fight. The last time the bags under his eyes were caused by annoying kids was decades ago, and it was only ever Lisa and occasionally one friend. It was never six kids. Never his friends quickly losing their minds.</p>
<p>He sighs again and sets about getting changed. His pajamas are similar to his day clothes, blue flannel pants and a black thermal. He’d considered grabbing a t-shirt for bed but discarded the idea quickly. After Behrad’s fit last night he knows the chances of crossing paths with some of the, um, younger members of the team before he’s ready for the day are higher than usual. If it were just Sara he wouldn’t have so many qualms about it.</p>
<p>Sara.</p>
<p>He brushes his teeth with a spare brush that he keeps here; much like the one he’d given Sara. He’s trying not to think about the fact that she’s downstairs right now and supposedly fixing the blankets on the pullout. That’s one thing he definitely hadn’t thought through when he said they should spend the night here. Oh, it had crossed his mind, but now that he’s turning off the sink and about to head back down he’s thinking he really shouldn’t have told himself it would be fine.</p>
<p>Sure enough when he returns to the living room with his clothes wadded in his hands she’s already dressed for bed and spreading out a throw blanket over the comforter they’d brought. Her pajamas are simple black sweatpants and a Star City Rockets t-shirt, yet he still has to kick his brain back into gear when she looks at him.</p>
<p>“I can sleep on the floor.” He says, and he’ll let himself admit he’s happy to see it when she rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>“We’ve shared a bed before.”</p>
<p>True, they have. Never in the capacity he would’ve liked, but in the old days after some particularly exhausting missions hunting dead ends on Savage.</p>
<p>He nods, sets down his clothes on the armchair, and peels back the blankets on the side of the bed he’s standing on. She follows his example and crawls into bed on her side, and then the awkwardness sets in.</p>
<p>The other times they’ve shared a bed it was never exactly… deliberate. Usually what would happen would be they’d play cards until one of them was falling asleep, or they would have just finished changing and Sara would simply follow him into his room. Either way they usually went through the same routine. He would pull back the sheets and lay down first, then she would collapse half on top of him, and they’d both be out soon as he had the blanket pulled up over them.</p>
<p>This is not that.</p>
<p>They’re wide awake, laying stiff as boards on their backs with an inch or two between them that feels like a chasm. Finally Sara lets out a miserable groan, and it’s like a release for them both. Len feels some tightness leave his chest as he shifts onto his side so he can look at her.</p>
<p>She’s staring up at the ceiling, lines of frustration etched into her face.</p>
<p>“They’re really turning into kids.”</p>
<p>He sighs, and she rolls onto her side to face him.</p>
<p>“I know.” He whispers, and then on a bit of a whim he leans up on one elbow but when she tries to do the same he reaches over with his other hand, rubbing little circles onto her shoulder and so she stays down. “What do you want to do?”</p>
<p>He’s half expecting her to ask him what he means, to tell him there is only one thing they <em>can</em> do and that is find Morgan. Instead, however, she hums this low, thoughtful sound and flits her eyes down for a moment.</p>
<p>“They’re our team.” She eventually murmurs, and when she glances back up to him he nods.</p>
<p>“They are.” He agrees, his voice even and his thumb still working gentle strokes on her shoulder. “And right now they’re… vulnerable. So, we have to consider…all the possibilities.”</p>
<p>She hums, and now she does rise up on her elbow, her eyes meeting his.</p>
<p>“Shawna mentioned today that you’ve said some things to Lisa, about me.”</p>
<p>He sighs, shit.</p>
<p>He should tell her that is a bit of a topic jump, but it really isn’t. If they’re not going to slide backwards in all the progress they’ve made with each other, if they’re going to be able to consider with clear heads all the possibilities for the team, then they need to have all their cards on the table.</p>
<p>“She didn’t say what.” She continues, “Just that they weren’t great. I know we’ve already talked about the past four years and we’ve been better, so I’m not mad.”</p>
<p>“But you want to know?”</p>
<p>She offers him a partial shrug, which slides his hand down her arm and he can’t bring himself to put it back. Instead he reclaims it, and starts picking at some fuzz on the sheets.</p>
<p>“It was back when you were still with Ava.” He says, “I was frustrated, to say the least, and we’ve already gone over the why. I took it out on you. I told Lisa you were a doormat for your girlfriend, and not the Sara I remembered.”</p>
<p>“And what did Lisa say?”</p>
<p>He has to fight a smirk, and settles for a drawn out drawl.</p>
<p>“She said my problem was with Ava, and I was taking it out on you because if I took it out on her I’d manage to somehow do more damage.”</p>
<p>She hums, a tiny smile gracing her face, to his surprise. It does fade quickly, however, but he’ll still count himself lucky for having gotten it in the first place.</p>
<p>“Are you ok though?” She asks, “With me being different?”</p>
<p>He wonders if she can see it on his face, the way it shatters his heart that she has to ask that question.</p>
<p>She’s looking up at him with her blue eyes shining in the dark, waiting for an answer. Waiting for, he realizes, acceptance or rejection.</p>
<p>He leans over, the hand that had previously been on her shoulder and then the sheet cradling her jaw. He presses a soft, hopefully assuring, kiss to her lips. She reciprocates, kissing him tenderly and scooting closer to close the distance between their bodies. When he pulls away he doesn’t go far. His forehead stays pressed against hers, their noses still touching.</p>
<p>“Yes.” He whispers, “I….” He swallows and backs off a bit, just enough so he can look her in the eyes properly. “My problem with Ava was I could see what you’ve become, how you found yourself with the team. And I remembered everything you used to say, about being a hero in the light. Ava shrouded that light and I… <em>hated</em> seeing that.”</p>
<p>His voice shudders, frankly he’s amazed all of him doesn’t shudder. His blood is starting to boil just thinking about it. All the days he watched Ava refer to herself as “co-captain”, all the times he watched her step in front of Sara. Every time he watched Sara jump through hoops, trying to fix some juvenile jealousy.</p>
<p>It’s far too late that he realizes his thumb on Sara’s cheek is wet. It’s from her eyes; her tears are glistening in the light filtering in from the lamppost outside the window.</p>
<p>He wipes the tear away and opens his mouth to apologize, but he doesn’t get the chance before she presses another kiss to his lips.</p>
<p>This kiss is only a fraction more heated than the last one. There is no hint of her tongue, and that is perfectly fine. All he needs is her lips. The taste of her, the assurance that she’s here and her days of being leashed by her former girlfriend are over.</p>
<p>A sniffle pulls him out of the intoxicating bliss, regrettably.</p>
<p>He looks down at her, worried he might have read this completely wrong and she is legitimately upset. But she’s looking back up at him with just as much confusion and concern, and then another sniffled accompanied by a high pitched shutter sounds out from behind them.</p>
<p>He rolls over, Sara sits up, and their eyes land on Charlie standing in the doorway in the t-shirt she’d gone to bed wearing as a nightgown; her face pinched with tears.</p>
<p>“Charlie?” Sara asks as he sits up properly.</p>
<p>She doesn’t say anything. Instead she runs for the bed, sobbing as she throws herself onto it and crawls up between them.</p>
<p>She plows her face into Sara’s lap, her little arms winding tightly around her waist. Sara looks up at him, eyes wide, and he just stares down at Charlie.</p>
<p>“Awer…Awer…. Awer ardd…ardd… weeeee……???”</p>
<p>Ok, now he looks at Sara, and she looks completely lost.</p>
<p>“What?” She asks, and Charlie sobs louder.</p>
<p>“Awer ardd… ardd we?” Charlie sobs again, and then she lets out something only a breath away from a scream. “I aunna co.. co..homb!!!!”</p>
<p>“Shh… ok, ok.” Sara whispers, rubbing circles along Charlie’s back. “Calm down. I can’t understand you, you need to calm down.”</p>
<p>Another near scream, this one so long Leonard actually flinches.</p>
<p>“Noddunn eber untertaaaasss… taaas…. Tasss….” She cuts herself off sobbing, and faintly Len hears a wail from upstairs, Behrad waking up.</p>
<p>Great.</p>
<p>“Shh… Ok, ok.” Sara keeps on whispering, though her eyes flit up to the space above the stairs out the doorway, before she decides Charlie is going to be her focus.</p>
<p>“Take your time.” She whispers, starting to run her fingers through Charlie’s curls. “Breathe. Think about what you want to say, and don’t rush. Ok?”</p>
<p>Charlie shudders against Sara, and as she sobs with a considerable effort to stop Sara meets his eyes over her head.</p>
<p>They really are kids, and that means they have a choice to make.</p>
<p>They can try fighting the spell and the time drift the old fashion way, or they can give in and let it take its course.</p>
<p>And, by the looks of this, they have to come to a decision now.</p>
<p>Eventually Charlie, though still shaking, pushes herself into a sitting position and looks to them both before she speaks again.</p>
<p>“Awer…” She pauses, and sniffles again. “W…Where... Ard… We?”</p>
<p>Leonard isn’t sure how to take it, that there’s a twinge of pride in his chest when he hears the first coherent sentence Charlie’s spoken all week. Sara takes a breath, and meets his eyes one more time over her head, which leads to Charlie whirling her head to look at him.</p>
<p>“We’re in our new house.” He answers, and in an experiment he reaches a hand over and wipes some tears from her face.</p>
<p>She doesn’t even flinch.</p>
<p>“Do you know who Sara and I are?”</p>
<p>She nods, her cheek still against his hand.</p>
<p>“Who?” He asks, and she opens her mouth, but then there’s a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Are we your friends?” Sara asks gently from behind her. “Or… Are we someone else?”</p>
<p>Again Charlie’s mouth only opens without any words coming out.</p>
<p>“It’s ok if you don’t know.” Leonard says after a moment, getting her big eyes back on him rather than Sara. “Families can be hard, especially when they’re not traditional. You can call us what you like. But you know we love you, right?”</p>
<p>Charlie nods, a bright, genuine smile on her face and he wishes he could say he relaxes more than he actually does. It’s hard, knowing the cover story is starting to blend with her sense of identity, and he can’t imagine what it must be like for her.</p>
<p>“Ok.” Sara says, her voice soft and assuring.</p>
<p>Charlie sniffles again.</p>
<p>“Gan I seep wif oo cuys tonide?”</p>
<p>She looks between them, and after a moment of processing that only has a little bit to do with her speech hurdle, the two of them glance to each other and really, what choice do they have?</p>
<p>“Of course you can.” Sara agrees, and Charlie somehow smiles brighter.</p>
<p>So their de-aged teammate makes herself comfortable between them. They’re slow to lie back down, and suddenly it’s back to being stiff as boards only now the tension is entirely different.</p>
<p>Charlie, very likely oblivious to that part of this, rolls onto her side and snuggles into Sara. Sara, in turn, puts her arm around the little girl and with that hand she finds his, and laces their fingers together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sara wakes up it isn’t for the first time, it’s more like the eighth time. Charlie isn’t exactly an easy sleeper and even if she were, well, there are plenty of reasons right now for Sara to be waking in the middle of the night. Anyway, Charlie has rolled out from her side and into Leonard’s, and he’s long ago dropped the grip he’d had on her hand last night in favor of wrapping that arm protectively around Charlie. She watches the two of them for a moment with a soft smile on her face. This isn’t ideal – not by any means – but she can still think the scene before her looks adorably domestic.</p>
<p>“I know you’re watching.” Leonard suddenly murmurs, his voice thick with sleep and the corner of his mouth tipping up into a smirk.</p>
<p>His eyes creak open and he glances around, evidently taking stock of his predicament, before he sucks in a heavy breath through his nose and his whole body tenses, his back arching as he tries to stretch without disturbing Charlie too much. It works, easily, and Charlie doesn’t even stir.</p>
<p>Sara laughs as Len eyes their young teammate curiously, clearly weighing his options.</p>
<p>“She’s a heavy sleeper.” Sara informs him, “Even as an adult.”</p>
<p>He nods, and doesn’t comment about her knowing that. Instead he shifts to the side and slowly reclaims his arm. As he eases away from her Charlie gives one little hitch of a moan before her breathing evens out again and Leonard is free to get up.</p>
<p>Sara leads the way into the kitchen and starts the coffee pot while Len opens a cabinet and pulls out two mugs.</p>
<p>“Any guess as to what time this social worker is coming?” She asks as the pot heats up, and Leonard groans.</p>
<p>“No.” He practically sneers. “If I’m remembering correctly from the few times someone ever bothered to investigate my old man, it’ll probably be before noon. They want to give you time to start the day, but not so much time you’re ready.”</p>
<p>She nods, that makes sense.</p>
<p>“I don’t think this team could be ready for that with all the time in the world.” She mumbles and he hums, a partially amused smirk on his face, and it’s probably the most she’s going to see out of him until this visit is over.</p>
<p>They’re quiet until the coffee is finished brewing, and she pours a healthy serving in the mugs he’d found for them.</p>
<p>“I didn’t get any cream yesterday.” He informs her, staring into the fridge. “Milk ok?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She answers with a nod, and she can’t help the warmth that blooms in her chest over the fact that he still remembers how she likes her coffee.</p>
<p>He’s closing the fridge when the two of them hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and soon enough Zari is trudging down the hall very obviously exhausted.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She mumbles in greeting to them, and she pushes in front of Leonard to get a mug for herself from the cabinet. “Mick’s gonna be in bad mood today, just to warn you.”</p>
<p>“What else is new?” Sara snorts as she pours some milk into her coffee; meanwhile Zari grabs the pot and pours herself the remainder of it.</p>
<p>“Why is Mick in a bad mood?” Len asks, biting the bullet.</p>
<p>“Because Behrad was up all night.” Zari says, her voice short and tired. “I tried everything but he just wouldn’t go back to sleep, and now I have a headache.”</p>
<p>She enunciates her point by rubbing her thumb and her forefinger between her eyebrows, and then takes a sip of her coffee.</p>
<p>“Finally got him down around 5:30, figures.”</p>
<p>Sara exchanges a look with Len, which thankfully Zari doesn’t seem to take much notice to. Despite getting a bit distracted, they<em> had </em>begun the conversation about this last night, and if Charlie is to serve as any indicator they were right to.</p>
<p>“Actually Zari, we wanted to talk to you about Behrad.” She says, because much as she wishes they could, with what today will bring they can’t push this conversation off another day.</p>
<p>Zari blinks at her, her elbows resting heavy on her counter and her mug still clutched between her hands like a lifeline.</p>
<p>“What about him?”</p>
<p>She exchanges another look with Len, and this one Zari does notice.</p>
<p>“What?” She asks, looking between them almost desperately.</p>
<p>“Do you remember our deal?” Sara asks, choosing to ease her into this as much as she can. She leans down next to Zari to stay on eye level, and tries to ignore the sheer panic she sees fill her eyes upon hearing the question. “You could claim Behrad as yours on Gideon’s forms? But in practice you’re still his sister?”</p>
<p>“Right…” She drawls, “But then our best shot at a lead on Morgan came from a girl at school with a daughter, and the best way for me to get in with her was to be Behrad’s mother.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Sara says, nodding. “But there’s a social worker coming today, so whatever we tell him is going to have to be our story-”</p>
<p>“And it’s going to have to match the forms.” Zari interrupts. “The forms say I’m Behrad’s mother.”</p>
<p>There’s a slight edge to her voice, a threat, though a threat of what Sara isn’t entirely sure.</p>
<p>“They do… But we came up with a plan for that, remember?” She carefully treads. “If anyone noticed, we’d insist it was a mistake and change it.”</p>
<p>“That was only if I started regressing.” Zari snaps back, her voice dangerously low.</p>
<p>“You are.” Len interjects, leaning himself down to their level as well.</p>
<p>“I’m still an adult.” Zari sneers, daring to look him in the eyes. “According to Gideon I still have the mind of someone in their thirties.”</p>
<p>“That was two days ago.” Sara interjects, doing her best to keep her voice even. “Behrad reverted to infancy in a day. Two days ago Charlie and John were still pre-teens, last night Charlie slept in the bed with me and Leonard and she didn’t know where she was.”</p>
<p>“Which mean’s Behrad’s probably forgotten more than his real age.” Len puts in before Zari can argue anything she’s said. “Charlie had trouble remembering we aren’t really her parents, and if you keep acting like Behrad is your son then he’s going to be attached to you as his mother sooner rather than later.”</p>
<p>For the first time Zari doesn’t have an argument ready. Instead she bows her head and looks down into her coffee, gears almost visible in her head as she processes the information.</p>
<p>“That’s fine.” She finally says, taking a sip of her coffee. “Once we get him back it won’t-”</p>
<p>“Except we might not get him back.” Sara says, earning hard stares from both Len and Zari.</p>
<p>She feels like the wind has been knocked from her chest, having been the one to finally say it, but at this point someone had to.</p>
<p>“So far we don’t have any hard trail on Morgan, and even if we did, we don’t know for sure if we could even get her to undo the spell. We have to consider the possibility that this might be permanent.”</p>
<p>Zari keeps staring at her, and in looking past her she meets Leonard’s eyes. He looks very uneasy with this, but there’s an acceptance in his eyes. He knows this is the point they’re at, and so he draws in a breath.</p>
<p>“And if it is permanent.” He says, though he’s talking to the back of Zari’s head. “You, Nate, and Mick are regressing fast. It won’t be long before, like Behrad, Charlie, and John, you start to forget this is all a cover. So any changes we’re going to make we have to make them now.”</p>
<p>Again, Zari is quiet for a minute. Sara sees the way her grip tightens on her mug, the way her eyes focus on a chip in the counter. She can see the war in Zari’s mind, how she’s torn between complying and fighting, between the adult and the teenager inside her both with their own reasoning. She can only hope there is still enough of the adult in there to get her to concede.</p>
<p>“We’re not making any changes.” She finally says, and it’s like a rock has settled in Sara’s stomach. “I told you.” Zari continues, meeting her eyes. “If this is permanent I don’t want to forget Behrad is my family.”</p>
<p>“And I told you, you won’t.” Sara reminds her, “He’ll still be your brother; we won’t let you forget that.”</p>
<p>“He’ll be my brother like Nate, Mick, and John will be.” Zari argues, “I don’t want that.”</p>
<p>“Zari.” Len says, and he waits until she looks at him before he continues. “We won’t let you forget he’s biologically your brother.”</p>
<p>She scoffs, “So what?” She asks, “You’re going to let me believe my parents gave me up, then fifteen years later gave up my brother? At least if it’s just me I could tell myself they just weren’t ready for a kid.”</p>
<p>“Zari-”</p>
<p>“No.” Zari cuts her off firmly. “If I’m gonna forget my parents I am <em>not</em> going to forget that they loved me!”</p>
<p>Sara opens her mouth to respond to that but she doesn’t get the chance before Zari grabs her mug and storms off, marching back upstairs.</p>
<p>“Zari come on!” She calls after her, and lamely at that. Zari, predictably, doesn’t turn around and then when she has to turn to get up the stairs she keeps her eyes trained ahead.</p>
<p>Sara deflates with the failure.</p>
<p>“Well,” Len comments from behind her. “That could’ve gone better.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nate wakes up to a door slamming somewhere outside of his and Mick’s room, followed up immediately by the sound of a piercing infant cry.</p>
<p>There’s a growl across the room and he rolls over to see Mick on the air mattress pulling his pillow out from under him and laying it back down over his own face.</p>
<p>“When we get back to normal.” He grumbles underneath the pillow. “I’m gonna roast Stoner.”</p>
<p>Nate does his best to ignore that, but he very much understands Mick’s frustration. Behrad was up crying all night. He tried offering Zari help at one point but she kicked him out, clearly he had gone in either too early or far too late.</p>
<p>So he’ll give it a few minutes this time, but he sure isn’t staying in here with Mick and all his brooding.</p>
<p>He gets up and opens the door just in time to see John emerging from the room he and Charlie are staying in. He looks ragged, and was probably up all night listening to Behrad like the rest of them. His hair as a child is shaggy, it hangs down around his eyes in a bowl cut, and right now it’s mussed at every possible angle. John glares at him, as though daring him to make a comment. He doesn’t. It almost doesn’t seem fair to taunt John when he can’t snark back, not without a pen and paper anyway. Instead he moves past John and into the bathroom that so far has remained unclaimed, even by Zari. He closes the door behind him and strips down, avoiding looking at his reflection in the mirror, and starts up the shower.</p>
<p>He stiffens slightly as he steps into the warm spray, and then relaxes and pulls the dingy curtain closed. He stands there for a moment, the only soap is a cucumber body wash he suspects was left behind by Snart’s sister, but if she left it knowing the current situation he doubts she did so on accident.</p>
<p>He squirts a dollop onto his open palm and lathers it together between his hands, and then begins to wash himself up and down with the suds that it becomes.</p>
<p>It’s strange, feeling along his body now in comparison to just over a week ago. He’d almost forgotten how scrawny he was as a teenager. He hadn’t bulked up until midway through his twenties, when he’d had a bit of a quarter-life crisis while working on his PHD.</p>
<p>At least he still remembers that.</p>
<p>Maybe he’ll start earlier this time around. Exercise is enough of a trend with teenagers today; maybe he can find some guys from school to hit the gym with.</p>
<p>He pauses his thoughts.</p>
<p>This time…. He shakes his head. This isn’t going to be a “this time”. They’re going to find Morgan; they have to.</p>
<p>They have to.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Leonard is trying very, very hard not to get in his own head.</p>
<p>He’s trying to clean up a bit, even though he knows they won’t have time to make the house fully presentable, and that’s ok.</p>
<p>He had very carefully not brought any booze of any kind into the house, and there is no sign of cigarettes, no odor from the fridge, nothing that always made the social workers who have come through here before raise their eyebrows.</p>
<p>And, nine out of ten times, they didn’t even take him and Lisa away for longer than a week.</p>
<p>But they don’t have a week; they don’t even have a day, yet here they are giving one up to focus on keeping their team together rather than tracking Morgan and getting her to fix their team.</p>
<p>If they can even be called a team at this point.</p>
<p>Right now Sara is sitting on the pullout with John settled in front of her snacking on a bowl of Goldfish as she tries to brush the small snarls out of his hair, and Charlie is next to him with her own hair a bit of a mess but not awful, thankfully. The two of them are mesmerized by Robin Hood playing on the TV via the old VHS player he’s never gotten rid of.</p>
<p>He goes back to cleaning.</p>
<p>Of all the stupid things they had thought to bring over yesterday they definitely hadn’t gotten enough dishware. He’s already washed and put away the dishes they did bring, along with the old ones that have been kicking around here and being used since his own childhood. He grimaces, maybe now that history is coming all too close to repeating itself he’ll finally throw those away. It would be <em>some </em>distance between him and his past. Not nearly enough, but it’d be something.</p>
<p>“Hey guys?” Zari’s voice calls, and Len turns and cranes his neck to see her rounding the landing at the bottom of the stairs, her phone in her hand and eyes glued to it.</p>
<p>She hasn’t shown her face since their little disagreement this morning, and he was fully expecting the next time she came down she’d be giving him and Sara the silent treatment.</p>
<p>“There’s an Amber Alert out for some kid at John and Charlie’s school.”</p>
<p>Well hello distraction.</p>
<p>He tosses some paper towels into the trash and heads towards Zari, his ears filled with the creaking springs of the pullout as Sara climbs off and joins them.</p>
<p>Zari holds her phone for them to see, the screen displaying a webpage for the local news and a headline about a local second grader who was abducted sometime last night from his backyard.</p>
<p>“That’s the kid Charlie got in the fight with.” He notes, and he can see the intrigue in both Sara’s and Zari’s eyes.</p>
<p>The question is whether or not Jason’s abduction has anything to do with Charlie, but it isn’t a question who took him. It’s Morgan, it has to be.</p>
<p>
  <em>Knock, knock, knock.</em>
</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>His eyes meet Sara’s and Zari glances between them.</p>
<p>“Text Cisco.” Sara instructs Zari, “Tell him we think Morgan took Jason and to keep us posted.”</p>
<p>Zari nods, then while typing walks pasted him and into the kitchen. Sara is still watching him, waiting, he realizes, for him to make the first move.</p>
<p>
  <em>Knock, knock.</em>
</p>
<p>He sighs, here goes everything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Well here’s a house I never thought I’d see again.”</p>
<p>Leonard Snart likes to think that he is generally prepared for anything, but as of late the universe seems to have decided to challenge him at every possible turn.</p>
<p>He can almost feel the sparks of disconnected wires in his brain. The man standing on his front steps and having just commented that he’s been here before is an old man, with stark white hair on his head and deep wrinkles set in his face. Leonard is trying to place his eyes, brimming with mischief as though he’s waiting for him to catch up. There’s something about the way he carries himself, tall and commanding but not threatening, not yet. Something about that business suit…</p>
<p>Something WAY in the back of his mind suddenly lights up, and holy hell.</p>
<p>“Nelson?” He asks, and yes, the way the old man snicker at him, it’s him.</p>
<p>“Took you long enough kid.” He says with a laugh, and then he’s stepping into the house, shaking Leonard’s hand and nodding to Sara.</p>
<p>Right, she’s standing next to him.</p>
<p>“Sara, right?” Nelson asks, now extending his hand to her. “Least that’s what it said in the file.”</p>
<p>“Yes, hi.” Sara replies dutifully, a tone of practiced class in her voice. He’s heard her speak that way plenty of times before, usually when they’re undercover in some higher society social circles. “Are you the social worker?”</p>
<p>“I am indeed.” Nelson answers her, “Don’t let the smile fool you.”</p>
<p>“Seriously, don’t.” Leonard warns, a smirk of his own finally creeping onto his face. “Lewis did once, Lisa and I almost got out for good that time.”</p>
<p>Finally Nelson’s smile falls, while a look of dawning understanding falls across Sara’s face.</p>
<p>“I am sorry about that, kid.” Nelson says, looking him in the eye. “I tried…”</p>
<p>“I know.” Len assures him. “Believe me, you did more than any of the others. You got us out for a year, wasn’t your fault Gramps’ heart gave out.”</p>
<p>His former social worker nods, a frown still on his face.</p>
<p>“Why don’t we go in the kitchen and sit down?” He suggests, deciding to move on to the current issues. “You remember the way?”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately.” Nelson says with a slight grimace, which Leonard can appreciate. He turns to lead the way to the kitchen and that is when he finds himself looking at two little heads poking out of the living room.</p>
<p>“Or,” He drawls, “We could do some introductions.”</p>
<p>John and Charlie take that as their cue, and step out into the hall with all the hesitance of two shy children.</p>
<p>That’s exactly what they are.</p>
<p>He walks over to stand just slightly behind them, and ok, he’s done this before from Charlie and John’s end and with Nelson as the social worker, but he isn’t completely sure what a healthy and non-concerning family looks like. He only knows the things Lewis would tell him and Lisa to shut up about, and it never worked with Nelson.</p>
<p>So, taking last night as a guideline, he very lightly places a hand on each of their shoulders. John shrugs him off, but Charlie leans herself into his leg, so that’s a half victory.</p>
<p>Which half is the victory, he isn’t entirely sure.</p>
<p>“John, Charlie.” He says, trying to make his voice gentle as possible. “This is Agent Nelson. He’s here to… to welcome us to town.”</p>
<p>Nelson kneels down with a friendly smile – apparently unbothered by his short stutter - and holds his hand out to John.</p>
<p>“Hello young man, it’s very nice to meet you.”</p>
<p>John shakes the hand, which is very unlike John and a little unnerving, even if he does have his eyes downcast the whole time.</p>
<p>“John isn’t much a talker.” Leonard informs Nelson, being sure to sound apologetic even though he has actually never been more grateful in his life that John was silenced. God only knows what a de-aged John Constantine would say to a social worker. “We’ve been told he’s totally mute, but no one seems to know why. We’re looking for a doctor to bring him to.”</p>
<p>John looks up indignantly when he says that, but Len does his best to wave him off without physically doing so. Maybe it would be more of a fight if they weren’t moving quickly, as Nelson has already turned his attention to Charlie.</p>
<p>“And what about you little lady?” He asks, and Charlie seems to consider him a moment.</p>
<p>“I daund toulk good ei…eifver.”</p>
<p>“We were talking the other day about a speech therapist for her.” Sara jumps in. “Just… Trying to sort everything out.”</p>
<p>She huffs tiredly, falling easily into the roll of a put-upon mom who would like for just one thing to go smoothly for once. He might start to worry time drift is getting to her if that weren’t a perfect descriptor of her daily life without the entire team de-aged.</p>
<p>“That’s understandable.” Nelson says, getting back to his feat. “A move can be a lot on a family. I’m not here to judge you Mrs. Drake, only to make sure your children are safe.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, and now with John and Charlie scampering back into the living room Leonard leads the way to the kitchen. Behind him he hears Sara explaining the situation with the pullout bed in the living room and how him and her are planning to eventually move into the basement. He gets a little distracted, however, when they arrive in the kitchen and the first thing he sees is Zari twisting the cap off a bottle of Aspirin.</p>
<p>She looks up, and she must see the “<em>are you seriously taking pills in front of the social worker?” </em>look on his face because her eyes dart to Nelson.</p>
<p>“I have a headache.” She explains, and then very carefully pours two tablets into her hand, sets them aside to reseal the bottle, and then swallows them down with water.</p>
<p>Nelson doesn’t seem too concerned with their teenager getting herself Aspirin, and at least she has the sense to put it on the top shelf of a cabinet, well out of reach of younger children.</p>
<p>“Hi, I’m Zari. “ She says, coming around the side of the counter. “I’m-”</p>
<p>She’s cut off by a distant cry, and Leonard notes how she scowls as Heywood comes down the hall holding Behrad.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Heywood says as he enters the room, eyes on Zari, “I tried keeping him occupied but…”</p>
<p>“It’s ok.” Zari says, brushing between him and Sara to take Behrad from Heywood and pressing a kiss to the top of his head as she begins to rock him.</p>
<p>Next to him he notices Sara’s jaw set. Zari’s just won the argument from earlier today. As she disappears down through the doorway with Behrad any chance of passing Sara and himself as his parents goes with her, and he knows she knows it. Clever, a part of him is even impressed.</p>
<p>She leaves Heywood behind, gaping like a fish in the presence of Agent Nelson, and Len sighs.</p>
<p>“We adopted Zari eight months ago.” He says, nodding towards the hall. “She was pregnant at the time she came to us. Her son’s name is Behrad.”</p>
<p>He’s trying to keep his eyes on Nelson and off Sara, but he still feels her tense with anger next to him. But it’s too late. This is their story, and they’re going to have to stick to it.</p>
<p>“This is Nate.” He continues, nodding to Heywood. “Nate, Agent Nelson.”</p>
<p>“H-Hi…” Heywood stammers out as he awkwardly shakes Nelson’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”</p>
<p>“It’s nice to meet you too Nate.” Nelson says, smiling in that grandfatherly way of his. “And how long have you been living with Sara and Leonard?”</p>
<p>He sees Heywood gulp, his eyes darting to Sara and him as he struggles to remember the cover. That’s a touch worrying, but then again Heywood does have about a 50/50 record with being interrogated under stress. Sometimes he’s great, and sometimes he chokes.</p>
<p>“Uh… three years.” He stammers, and at least he’s remembered. “Me and my brother Mick, they put us with Sara and Len as fosters when we were twelve.”</p>
<p>“Mick?” Nelson asks, and oh god, oh having him as their social worker just became a curse. He turns back around, an amused gleam in his eye. “Didn’t you used to hang around with that Mick Rory?”</p>
<p>“I did.” Len replies, as cool as he can manage, and he is <em>praying </em>Nelson can’t hear his heart pounding in his chest. “We had a falling out a few years ago, haven’t seen or heard from him since. Though if you find him, tell him karma sure has a funny sense of humor.”</p>
<p>Nelson chuckles, and then Heywood beats a hasty retreat and the three of them find their way to sitting at the table.</p>
<p>“So,” Nelson says, pulling out a notebook and pen from his jacket pocket. “Obviously this isn’t your first go around with social services.”</p>
<p>Len almost makes the idiotic mistake of opening his mouth and telling Nelson this is Sara’s first go around, but then he remembers the cover.</p>
<p>Adopted kids. So no, she’s done this before, four or five times as far as he is concerned.</p>
<p>“So why don’t we start there?” He suggests, “The files I received said your older children are all from Star City?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Sara confirms, they had chosen Star City for those three in case of something like this happening. If, for some reason, anyone ran a background check, Sara could make a call to Laurel and between her, Dinah, and Rene, the right strings could get pulled with their false records.</p>
<p>“So what was the reason for the move?”</p>
<p>“A few things.” Sara answers readily. “For one thing Star City isn’t exactly the safest place to raise kids. I grew up there and I was exposed to a lot that I probably didn’t have to be, and my family was in one of the safer neighborhoods.”</p>
<p>Nelson nods, and scribbles something in his notebook, and that is when Leonard realizes he is going to be trying very hard and very often today to ignore that action.</p>
<p>“We had also both been offered jobs at S.T.A.R. Labs.” He supplies, “I went into security work five years ago, when I got my life on the straight and narrow. Sara works in biomedicine.”</p>
<p>Nelson at least looks impressed with Sara, and what follows up are a few questions about their jobs and if they have any objections to him speaking with their co-workers if he deems it necessary. That conversation is easy, what with the whole S.T.A.R. Labs crew being in on what’s going on and their cover story. What’s harder is when he starts asking questions about the kids, and it’s interrupted by Charlie and John getting into a fight in the next room over what sounds like the TV remote.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” He apologizes as he gets up, which prompts Sara to sit back down, they exchange a look and he heads for the living room. He’s sure Nelson knows what he’s doing, breaking up the fight to prove he can handle petty sibling arguments far better than his own father ever did. He isn’t sure if he knows he’s doing it as much to show him as he is to show himself, but he is.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sara watches as Leonard walks through the archway that leads into the living room. The table is more in the corner of the kitchen, so she and Nelson can’t see him, but they can hear him asking to know what’s going on and Charlie’s semi-coherent shouts about how John turned off her show.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” She says with a wince, “They’re still adjusting.”</p>
<p>“It’s a process.” Nelson assures her, and there’s a moment of quiet between the two of them as they listen to Leonard in the next room inform John and Charlie they’re going to be done with the TV for the day if they can’t agree on what to watch.</p>
<p>“If you don’t mind my asking.” Nelson broaches when it becomes clear by Charlie’s crying that this is going to be a few minutes. “How did you and Leonard meet?”</p>
<p>“Through work.” She answers, they’d prepared this story, and kept it close to the truth as they could. “We were both recruited for a research team. Officially Len was hired to wire security for the building but he kept hanging around, he helped out with the research a lot.”</p>
<p>Nelson smiles, and he looks like he’s going to say something to that when they hear little footsteps go stomping up the stairs, and then Leonard returns with Charlie shuffling behind him with glassy eyes. As he sits down Charlie crawls into his lap, and it makes Sara’s heart clench for reasons both bad and… well, reasons she probably shouldn’t be examining right now.</p>
<p>“This one and John aren’t watching TV until after dinner, and that’s if they eat their dinner without a fight.”</p>
<p>“Ok.” She agrees, and she lets her eyes linger on Charlie for a moment.</p>
<p>True, she doesn’t know what exactly John did to her in there, but the fact that as an adult Charlie is normally so loud, confident, and independent… to see her propped on Len’s lap and contentedly playing with the zipper of his jacket combined with her sleeping between them last night…</p>
<p>She’s going to be keeping an eye on Charlie.</p>
<p>“So,” She says, stirring herself from her thoughts and turning her attention back to Nelson. “I’m assuming you want to have a look around?”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zari exhales in deep relief as she lays Behrad down into his crib. Finally, he’s down for his nap. The Aspirin has proven useless and between that and Behrad’s crying her head is pounding by now. Still, despite the migraine she pulls her phone from her back pocket and looks at the screen. She had felt the buzz a few minutes ago while she was still rocking Behrad to sleep.</p>
<p>
  <em>Cisco Ramon: Got a lead, tell Sara or Snart to come down ASAP</em>
</p>
<p>She bites at her lip. ASAP, yeah, that isn’t going to happen. Not today, not with a social worker downstairs.</p>
<p>Of course, it’s Sara and Snart who have to impress him. They have to assure him they’re capable parents, but they aren’t prison wardens, and she, Nate, and Mick <em>are</em> teenagers…</p>
<p>She very quietly tiptoes out of her room and closes the door behind herself with equal care, as she has no desire of waking Behrad. Then she goes across the hall and after a quick knock she opens the door to Nate and Mick’s room without waiting for an answer. Inside she finds the boys each sitting on their respective beds, Nate playing with Behrad’s switch and Mick reading a paperback book that looks like it has seen better days.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Nate greets her, briefly looking up from his game.</p>
<p>“Cisco got a lead on Morgan.” She informs them, and that gets them both to look up.</p>
<p>“Where?” Mick asks, his book already half closed.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” She says, “He just said to get Sara or Snart down to S.T.A.R. Labs ASAP.</p>
<p>“Well that’s gonna be awhile.” Nate grumbles, while Mick does much the same except with a lack of words. “They’ve both gotta be here until that social worker leaves.”</p>
<p>“But we don’t.” She says, checking her hip against the door.</p>
<p>Nate’s eyes go a little bit wide, and after she mentioned Cisco needing Sara or Snart Mick had turned his eyes back to his book, but now he’s looking at her over the rim of the tattered pages.</p>
<p>“We’re teenagers.” She reminds them, “Unlike John and Charlie we’re supposed to have social lives, and cell phones. And more importantly we haven’t regressed as far as John and Charlie. We-”</p>
<p>She cuts herself off when she hears a creak on the stairs, and cranes her neck back to look at whose coming. She isn’t surprised that it’s Sara and Snart, though she’s a little thrown by Snart carrying Charlie. Anyway, they’re leading the social worker up and Sara’s explaining the rooming situation.</p>
<p>When they arrive at the top of the stairs the group of them stops, eyes on her.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Sara says, “You three having a meeting?”</p>
<p>“I was just telling Nate and Mick I got a text from our friend Cisco.” She says, “About that project we’re doing? We need to go to his house.”</p>
<p>She doesn’t miss how both Sara and Snart blink, and then look to each other. She wonders if they know they react so identically to almost everything.</p>
<p>“It’s important.” Nate says, joining her in the doorway. “We’ve been really stuck on the project and Cisco figured out the next part, but he needs some help.”</p>
<p>“Like, ASAP.” She adds, and Sara looks very, very much like she wishes this weren’t happening. She comes over and looks past them, exchanging some sort of look with Mick, and then she looks back to the social worker.</p>
<p>“Do you need to talk to either of them?” She asks him, “I know you wanted to talk with Mick.”</p>
<p>“I’d like to speak with Zari.” He says, his eyes moving to her. “If you can spare a few minutes for me before you go?”</p>
<p>She nods, a bit surprised but she catches back up.</p>
<p>“Of course.” She then looks over to Sara. “I just put Behrad down for a nap. Do you mind if I leave him here with you guys?”</p>
<p>“Course not.” She says, “You guys need to get that project done. There are going to be adults at Cisco’s house?”</p>
<p>Zari wants to scoff, because there <em>is</em> an underlying tone to Sara’s question; wanting to make sure she and Nate aren’t going off alone on this. But, she tells herself it’s only for the sake of the social worker that Sara’s asked such a ridiculous question.</p>
<p>“Of course.” There’s still an edge in her own voice.</p>
<p>She then follows the social worker back downstairs and to the kitchen table, considering everyone else in the house is on the cramped second floor at the moment.</p>
<p>“This won’t take long.” The old man promises her as they sit down. “I just want to ask you a few questions about your family. Oh, my name is Agent Nelson by the way. I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier.”</p>
<p>“Right, sorry.” She says, “Behrad was up all night, he really needed a nap.”</p>
<p>“It happens.” He says, “Do you mind if I ask you about Behrad?”</p>
<p>She blinks, but it’s understandable he’d want to know more about her being a mother.</p>
<p>“Ask whatever you want.”</p>
<p>Well, he looks pleased enough with that.</p>
<p>“You’re fifteen, correct?” He asks, “You were pregnant at fourteen?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” She answers, shortly of course.</p>
<p>“That’s very young. Did you meet Behrad’s father in school?”</p>
<p>For a moment she feels like her mind shorts out, but it reconnects quickly. Right, social worker. He wants to make sure she didn’t become a teen parent under terrible circumstances.</p>
<p>“In a group home.” She answers, drawing on… something. A half constructed story in her mind, a face she can almost see. A large, dark, damp room that is almost like a cell and a boy with a dangerous kind of smile…</p>
<p>Huh, maybe Mick isn’t the only one with the imagination for writing.</p>
<p>Nelson nods, “I take it you were separated by placements?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” There’s more hurt to her voice than she’d expected, huh.</p>
<p>“Did he know you were pregnant?”</p>
<p>She blinks, dragging her brain out of some kind of fog, oh and her headache is getting worse.</p>
<p>“Zari?”</p>
<p>How long has she been quiet?</p>
<p>“Sorry.” She says, and Nelson frowns, but there’s sympathy in his eyes.</p>
<p>“It’s alright.” He assures her. “Were you ever able to tell him?”</p>
<p>She forces herself to nod, “Yeah, he told me to get out of his life.”</p>
<p>That’s a lie.</p>
<p>Of course it is. This whole thing is a lie. But why does she remember a boy? A skinny boy with tanned skin and the startings of dark facial hair. Why does she remember his smile making her heart race? Remember telling him to go screw himself? Why does she remember calling him so many horrible things? Why does she remember crying over him?</p>
<p>Why does this simple little story feel so real?</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” Nelson says, “So he wasn’t supportive when it came to Behrad. Did he have the means to be?”</p>
<p>What? What does-? Right, social worker. Why does she keep letting that slip her mind?</p>
<p>“No.” She answers, “He was still in the group home last I knew, and we’re the same age. You can’t work minimum wage in Star City until you’re sixteen.”</p>
<p>Nelson nods, and scribbles something down in a little notebook.</p>
<p>“What about Sara and Leonard?”</p>
<p>At the mention of Sara and Snart the images in her minds eye start to fog over, until she can barely picture them only a second later and she feels like she’s back to herself. The cover, she needs to maintain the cover.</p>
<p>“They’re great.” She assures him, pushing away everything else she had just thought of. “I mean you saw up there, they’re always good with watching Behrad when I need to get schoolwork done and things like that.”</p>
<p>“And what about your siblings?” He asks, “You feel safe having your son around them?”</p>
<p>“I do.” She answers, “Nate loves Behrad and is actually helpful. John and Charlie are, you know, kids, but they’re fine. Mick’s got some adjusting to do but I trust him.”</p>
<p>“You trust someone who pulled a flamethrower on another boy, with your infant child?”</p>
<p>She gapes for a moment, suddenly aware of the fine line she’s walking on.</p>
<p>“Not alone.” She amends slowly, “But that’s almost never an issue. And… I know it’s stupid to say he made a mistake, but I’ve seen Mick at his best. He does have a really good heart, he just needs to work on how he handles his feelings.”</p>
<p>She isn’t sure if that’ll satisfy Nelson, and it takes a lot of self-control to not lean over the table and hover over that stupid notebook he’s writing in.</p>
<p>Eventually, he flips his notebook closed.</p>
<p>“Thank you Zari.” He says, “Is there anything else you want me to know?”</p>
<p>She shakes her head, at a loss that that’s it.</p>
<p>“No.” She says, hurrying to get up. “No, thank you, um. Bye.”</p>
<p>He smiles at her and laughs just a bit. “Have a nice day Zari, good luck with that project of yours.”</p>
<p>She nods, a tight smile on her face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Zari returned from her little interview with Nelson she looked more than a bit shaken, and when Nate tried to ask she brushed him off. She promised him she was fine and he hadn’t entirely believed her.</p>
<p>Right now, when he glances up as he finishes inflating the tires of an old bike in Snart’s garage, she’s staring off into space and being unusually quiet.</p>
<p>He still doesn’t believe her.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He says, and at least she snaps to attention. “All set. You good?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She says, though her voice is breathy and short. She glances around the garage, “I don’t see the helmets.”</p>
<p>He shrugs; they don’t really have time to be tearing this place around looking for helmets. They’ve taken long enough already looking for the air hose and then inflating the tires on this relic of a bike.</p>
<p>“Probably got tossed a long time ago.” He says as he steps one leg over the bike.</p>
<p>Zari looks uncertain, to say the least, and he’s having a hard time deciphering whether it’s because she’s worried Nelson might look out a window or if it’s because of, well, anything else.</p>
<p>She approaches him with an air of hesitance and grimaces as she eyes the spokes installed on the back tire, but when she steps up and grabs onto him for support her grip, for just a fraction of a second, is <em>very</em> tight.</p>
<p>And he hears grimace.</p>
<p>“Are you ok?” He asks as her grip loosens.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She promises, “Ugh, are you getting headaches? Is that part of the regression thing?”</p>
<p>He eyes her over his shoulder. Her eyes are downcast and squinted, her eyebrows furrowed with pain, and he wishes he could at least tell her he’s suffering with her.</p>
<p>But, he won’t lie to her.</p>
<p>“No.” He says, “Maybe you just have a migraine?” He suggests, “Or maybe… Maybe you’re backsliding faster than me?”</p>
<p>She groans, and then breathes in deep.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She says, a renewed strength in her voice. “Whatever, it’s not gonna get any better standing in here. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>He isn’t sure he trusts that she’s ok. But she’s steady on the spokes and holding firmly to his shirt with a tight grip, and she’s right that standing here in the garage isn’t going to help anything.</p>
<p>“Ok.” He agrees, and he kicks up the kickstand and starts pedaling them off to S.T.A.R. Labs.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After Cisco sends Zari the text about their lead on Morgan he doesn’t get a response. Ok, that’s fine, he knows the happy family is busy with the social worker today, but given how hard Morgan has been to track down he’s worried this might be a time sensitive issue.</p>
<p>Which is why he hasn’t been able to sit still for the past half hour.</p>
<p>“Would you relax?” Frost pleas with him, her day for the surface, and apparently he hasn’t annoyed her into getting Caitlin yet to come and tell him to calm down. “Barry will tell us if she leaves.”</p>
<p>“Barry doesn’t even know if she’s there.” He shoots back. After they found Morgan, or who they <em>think</em> is Morgan anyway, with the help of Joe and his being able to tell them about closed investigations, Barry and Ralph took the van to do a stakeout and make sure she doesn’t pack up and disappear again.</p>
<p>Of course, they’re yet to report even getting a visual.</p>
<p>“Well, if she is,” Frost comments, popping a cheese ball into her mouth. “They will tell us if she leaves.”</p>
<p>He is in the middle of scowling and rolling his eyes when his phone buzzes in his back pocket. He fishes it out and sees the screen lit up with a notification from Zari.</p>
<p>
  <em>Here</em>
</p>
<p>Oh there is a God.</p>
<p>He hurries out of the cortex, vaguely aware of Frost eyeing him curiously, but he’s sure she can figure out why he’s hurrying down towards the elevator. Actually he is very sure she figures it out, because soon enough he hears her footsteps behind him and by the time he’s stepping into the elevator she’s alongside him.</p>
<p>The doors close, and he’s still bouncing on his heels, glancing at his phone again to make sure she hasn’t texted him again. Not that he has any idea what she would be texting him, except for asking him to hurry up with letting them in. Maybe he’s looking for word from Barry or Ralph, from whom there is also nothing, and maybe that’s just as much a good thing as it is a bad thing. But maybe-</p>
<p>“Hey.” Frost says, pulling him from his thoughts. “We’ll get her.”</p>
<p>“I know.” He sighs, “It’s just its enough pressure when it’s our own lives and well beings on the line, but now it’s another team.”</p>
<p>“Hm, especially when it’s Leonard Snart’s team and you want to be on his good side.”</p>
<p>He rolls his eyes, giving her the most disappointed and annoyed side glance he knows how to summon, and the smirk she gives him is a clear signal that she knows exactly what water she is treading in here.</p>
<p>He doesn’t get a chance to tell her to shove it before the elevator dings and lets them out on the severely neglected main floor of S.T.A.R. Labs. He can see the front door, and Nate and Zari standing on the other side of its glass with the front half of a bike peeking into view from the side of the wall.</p>
<p>He glances to Frost, and all the smugness is gone from her face and replaced with worry. The two of them pick up their pace, hurrying to the entrance and Frost is the one who pushes the door open for their guests.</p>
<p>“Where are mom and dad?” Cisco asks soon as the door is open, because ok, how is he supposed to pass up the opportunity to say <em>that</em>?</p>
<p>“Trying to hold onto their kids.” Zari answers as she and Nate enter, unimpressed with his snark. “Did you guys find Morgan?”</p>
<p>He glances to Frost. They had been planning on having this conversation with at least Sara, since she is the Legends’ captain. If not her, then Snart, since he seems to be acting as a second-in-command, at least with this particular situation the Legends have found themselves in.</p>
<p>They really don’t know how far back the rest of the Legends have regressed mentally, especially the teenagers. They know Behrad is a full baby, John and Charlie are well below adult, and the rest of them… Well they know Mick went out the other night and lit a guy on fire.</p>
<p>Which, that means he’s slid backwards by at least four years.</p>
<p>Still, Zari is the one who’s been texting him, and she’s the one watching him and Frost expectantly, waiting to be told what they know.</p>
<p>Besides, with still no word from Barry and Ralph, they need to move.</p>
<p>“We found a house in Keystone.” He finally tells her, “It’s being rented by someone using the name Michael Jones, and since your girl Morgan is still being hunted by the police after her failed daycare scheme someone called in when they thought they saw her going into the house.”</p>
<p>“Let me guess,” Nate says, “She wasn’t there when the cops checked it out?”</p>
<p>“Just Mr. Jones.” Cisco confirms, “But next to Smith, Jones is the most obvious cover name in the books.”</p>
<p>“So you think Michael Jones is the guy she’s working with?” Zari asks and Cisco nods.</p>
<p>“I’ve looked everywhere for him, but there are at least five Michael Jones’ within twenty miles of Central City and without a picture released by the police we don’t know if he’s real or not.”</p>
<p>“Or worse.” Frost jumps in before Zari or Nate can say anything, “We don’t know if he’s a known enemy.”</p>
<p>He nods. According to Snart, Merlin had made it very clear that Morgan doesn’t have the juice for time travel on her own. Excluding the Legends they only know a handful of time travelers. One is Barry, one was wiped from the timeline after they saved Barry, and one…</p>
<p>He doesn’t want to think about that one.</p>
<p>“It could be a trap.” He says, hoping the fear isn’t as evident on his face as he thinks it is.</p>
<p>“So what?” Zari practically scoffs, “You just want to give up?”</p>
<p>“Of course not.” He says quickly, “But we think it would be better for everyone if Sara and Snart-”</p>
<p>“Well they’re not here!” Zari firmly – and he thinks uncharacteristically – snaps. “They’re not here, and I am still adult enough – gah!”</p>
<p>She cuts herself off and stumbles back, her head bowed and hands pressing hard over her eyes.</p>
<p>“Zari!” Her name is shouted in a chorus from all three of them, him and Frost lunging forward but Nate beats them to his teammate, catching her by the shoulders and walking back with her.</p>
<p>He notes, because how could he not with her hands covering her face and turned out for the world to see, that her bracelet vanishes from her wrist before his eyes.</p>
<p>“Zari?” Nate asks as her breath hitches, “Are you ok?”</p>
<p>“Nate?” He hears her mumble, and when she raises her head up her eyes are wide for only a moment before they squeeze shut and she shudders in pain again, her body curling in on itself.</p>
<p>“What’s happening to me?!”</p>
<p>“Shit.” Frost whispers next to him, already marching into action as she does. “Zari?” She inquires with a hand on her shoulder and ducking to look her in the eyes as much as possible. “Zari? It’s Frost, Barry’s friend. We’ve met before. Do you remember where?”</p>
<p>“Gah…” Zari gasps, but she eases her hold on her head, and opens her eyes a bit. “At Barry and Iris’s wedding. Or, the fight against the Nazi’s after it got interrupted anyway.”</p>
<p>It takes Cisco a minute to process, to realize why Nate’s eyes have gone wide and why he’s stepped back. At first he’s thinking Zari’s confused, because that fight was the first time they met <em>Behrad, </em>but then he remembers something Sara mentioned the last time they were in town and exchanging notes on defeating everyone’s “big bads” of the past year. A dead timeline, a second set of memories…</p>
<p>Shit.</p>
<hr/>
<p>As Nelson leaves his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, though Sara gives him credit for even trying to smile after what he’s just told them. They have a chance, at least, but as she closes the door behind the old man it doesn’t feel like much of one.</p>
<p>When she turns around Leonard is very obviously of the same opinion as her. He’s holding Behrad, awake now but still drowsy, and content to lay with his head on Leonard’s shoulder and suck idly on a pacifier.</p>
<p>John and Charlie are in the next room, John reading a <em>Magic Tricks for Kids </em>book and Charlie doing something with two stuffed dogs poking in and out from underneath her and Leonard’s pillows. A part of her wonders if they know what Nelson said, what he <em>recommended</em>, and if they’re being helpfully quiet to allow her and Leonard a chance to talk it over.</p>
<p>How the hell are they supposed to talk it over?</p>
<p>She opens her mouth, maybe to ask that very question, or maybe to somehow start this insane conversation.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter; her phone starts buzzing in her pocket before she can get so much as a sound out.</p>
<p>Leonard watches her as she pulls the phone out in front of her, and she sees him tense when she does the same. She taps accept upon seeing Caitlin’s caller I.D. and presses the phone to her ear.</p>
<p>“Hey, what’s going on?”</p>
<p>“Is the social worker gone?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She says, and then she clears her throat. “Yeah he just left.”</p>
<p>“Good, because you need to get down here. It’s Zari.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sara arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs Frost is waiting for her at the front door to let her in.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Frost says as the door closes behind Sara and she leads the way down the hall to the elevator. “Where’s Snart?”</p>
<p>“At home with the kids.” Sara answers, her voice a step away from a scowl. Frost is eyeing her with an eyebrow raised as they step into the elevator, so she rolls her eyes. “We don’t have a car.”</p>
<p>Frost seems to take that as a valid excuse for why she came alone instead of with Leonard and the rest of the de-aged team. In her mind it is a perfectly valid excuse, it isn’t like it’s very practical to run ten city blocks with two eight-year-olds, a baby, and an extra broody Mick. Frost doesn’t need to know it isn’t the only reason she came alone.</p>
<p>“How is she?” She asks as the elevator descends down into the lower levels of S.T.A.R.</p>
<p>Frost shrugs, “As ok as she can be.” She says, “The first Zari was still on the surface when I went up to wait for you. We calmed her down, she didn’t know about the spell so she was pretty confused. Nate and I explained everything to her.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, and then the elevator opens up and she hurries out before Frost, speed walking down the increasingly familiar path to the cortex and marching through into the med room. Nate is sitting in a chair beside the cot, and on the edge of that is Zari with this certain tension about her. Her whole complexion is pale, her arms are crossed tight over her stomach with her fists clutching to the edges of her shirt, and there is a haunted look in her dark eyes Sara’s seen before but not recently.</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s the first Zari.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She breathes the word as she gets there, vaguely aware that Frost hasn’t followed her this far. “You ok?”</p>
<p>Zari nods, though she looks more than a bit shaken.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” She says, her voice barely above a whisper.</p>
<p>Still, Sara sighs in relief and settles her hands on her hips. She allows herself a glance around the room, trying to ground herself and gather up her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She says, stepping so she’s directly in front of Zari and crouching down so that she’s below her bowed head. “Do you know who I am?”</p>
<p>Zari raises her head, her eyes blinking.</p>
<p>“Sara.” She answers, a tone of almost offence in her voice.</p>
<p>Sara isn’t sure she’s ever been more relieved.</p>
<p>“You’re our Captain.”</p>
<p>Ok, <em>now </em>she has never felt more relieved.</p>
<p>“I…” She goes on, “A few days ago things in the totem… flickered.”</p>
<p>It’s a minute before Sara finds herself able to process that, or process it as much as is possible anyway.</p>
<p>“Flickered?” She asks, and not looking very confident Zari nods.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She says, “It’s hard to explain. Everything kind of turned fuzzy. And I…” She glances down at herself. “I looked like this.”</p>
<p>Sara nods, and Zari takes in a long, shaky breath, and then while fidgeting with the cuff of her sleeve she continues.</p>
<p>“I’ve been thinking about my parents, more than usual. I haven’t been able to talk to the ancestors. This morning I started thinking about this guy I dated back when I was fifteen, and I haven’t thought about him in a like a million years. But I couldn’t stop, it felt like… like Zari was looking for him, like when she’s trying to hack and needs me to help?”</p>
<p>Sara nods, it makes some sense. Nelson had asked her and Leonard when he came back upstairs if they knew anything about Behrad’s father. They had said no, deciding that would lead to the least amount of questions, but she had wondered if Nelson had asked Zari about it.</p>
<p>Based on that, she’s willing to bet he did.</p>
<p>“Ok.” She says, “Frost said she and Nate caught you up?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Zari answers, “Um… It’s fuzzy but I kind of remember what Zari said you this morning, about forgetting our parents. I think that might have been me so… sorry.”</p>
<p>Sara gapes for a minute, but they’re way past that argument.</p>
<p>“It’s ok.” She says, and then she remembers why Zari and Nate came here in the first place. “I’m gonna talk to Frost and Cisco.” She announces, getting to her feet. Zari nods to her, and she spares Nate a glance and he looks a little shaken up, but fine. Fine enough that she still goes in search of some answers.</p>
<hr/>
<p>As Sara leaves Zari feels numb.</p>
<p>This is a lot. At least now she knows why things in the totem have been so weird, why she’s seen her reflection as that of her teenage self the past few days, why she’s been thinking about things she hasn’t in years and why it’s been lonely and… dark.</p>
<p>She hadn’t mentioned that part to Sara, but it’s been like she’s been fading in and out of sleep. She started to wonder, some time around what might have been yesterday, if maybe it’s all been the timeline finally erasing her. It was the only explanation her half conscious mind could come up with, but now that she knows what’s happening and she’s back in the world she suddenly isn’t the one she’s worried about being erased.</p>
<p>She looks over to Nate, who she realizes has been staring at her this entire time. She snickers upon meeting his eyes. It’s so weird seeing him like this, so young and not yet grown into his body. Giving a glance down to herself she figures it must be much the same for him looking at her. Her body at fifteen is similar enough to her body as an adult, but there are some differences that while subtle she feels they make more than enough of an impact. Her curves haven’t quite finished setting, she hasn’t entirely grown into her nose, and while she is already at her full adult height of 5’6” she feels so much shorter. It feels like everything around her is still bigger than what she’s ready to take on, but she’s going to have to do it anyway.</p>
<p>Maybe that part is just the trauma talking. Though if it’s from the spell or her own actual teenage years she isn’t sure.</p>
<p>“This is a little weird.” Nate breaks the silence, and when he does Zari finds herself jumping a little at the sound of his cracking voice. In all her panic earlier she hadn’t noticed it.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She agrees, glancing around the room. “So… According to the cover, you and Zari are siblings, and she’s Behrad’s mother?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nate sighs, and she makes note of how he’s fidgeting his thumbs around over each other. “Adopted siblings but still, that’s gonna be kind of weird if you’re gonna be the one …”</p>
<p>He trails off, disappointment clear on his face. She can only imagine what her own expression looks like. She knows it’s bad enough to inflict this look of hurt from him, and she needs to look away for a minute and tuck some hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>“I can’t stay.” She reminds him, her voice thick. “Behrad and I can’t exist in the same timeline.”</p>
<p>“As adults.” He says, rising to his feet and taking a step towards her. “Right now you’re fifteen and he’s a baby, and if time drift or the spell takes our memories, makes us into new people, then maybe you can both live.”</p>
<p>“And what about Zari?” She asks, “I don’t know how or why I’m possessing her body right now, but she deserves to be here. And besides, I don’t want us to become new people.” She reaches up, laying a hand gentle on his face and running her thumb over his cheek. There’s a distinct lack of his usual stubble, another reminder that what he’s said is true. They’re being reset. “I don’t want to forget how I feel about you.”</p>
<p>He’s leaned into her touch, practically melted in her palm.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to forget how I feel about you either.” He echoes, and the next thing she knows he’s leaning closer, her eyes are fluttering closed, and then he has a hand on her waist and his lips are on hers.</p>
<p>He kisses her gently, but there’s still something almost possessive about it. She knows, logically, she has kissed him dozens of times before and then some. But this feels different than anything they’ve ever shared. This feels like their first kiss times one hundred. The softness of his lips, the warmth of his breath on her and the way his hands start to slide her back, it’s all a brand new kind of enticing. There’s a nervous rush in her blood, adrenalin she doesn’t think she’s ever felt before. It’s almost like what she distantly remembers thinking her first time should’ve felt like, if her first time hadn’t been exchanged for some tech.</p>
<p>She shakes away that thought and keeps kissing Nate, positively devouring him now as he joins her on the cot.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After leaving the med office Sara decides she’s going to focus on the original reason Nate and Zari came down here. Zari is as fine as she can be given the circumstances, and it isn’t like team Flash are leading experts on the totems. Of course they are friends with Mari and Kuasa, who might be able to tell them something about what it vanishing means.</p>
<p>She shakes her head, one problem at a time.</p>
<p>No one is in the cortex, but she knows her way around S.T.A.R. Labs by this point and it doesn’t take her long to find the lounge, where Frost is making two mugs of coffee.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She says, handing Sara a mug. “How’s she doing?”</p>
<p>“Like you said.” Sara sighs, accepting the mug gratefully and helping herself to two of the little creamers in a bowl on the counter. “As ok as she can be.”</p>
<p>Frost doesn’t appear overly assured by that.</p>
<p>“She’s scared.” Sara settles on. “She didn’t know what was happening with the spell and I think she still doesn’t know what’s happening with her, or Zari.”</p>
<p>She pauses and takes a sip of her coffee.</p>
<p>“Well, if they need any help.” Frost tentatively offers. “Caity and I sort of have the sharing a body thing figured out.”</p>
<p>Sara is careful to keep her face neutral, though she wonders if that’s an answer in itself. She doesn’t want to think about the possibility of that. The idea that without the totem the timeline had to find somewhere else to store Zari. At least she didn’t disappear completely, because who knows what that might mean for Behrad. She’s the one who saved him after all.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” She finally says, and as she takes another sip of her coffee she decides to move on from the headache that is the Tarazi siblings. “Now, what do you guys have on Morgan?”</p>
<p>Frost frowns and recaps her on how Joe told them about police in Keystone investigating a possible sighting of Morgan but it turned up nothing. That being said the lack of a background for the guy who was at the rented house the police checked out makes for some suspicion, especially since they’ve already decided it’s likely Morgan is working with a partner.</p>
<p>“I texted Ralph while you were talking to Zari.” Frost finishes the story, “He and Barry still don’t have any sight of Morgan.”</p>
<p>Sara groans, and debates asking if the two of them are going to be going down there and joining the stakeout. She hates waiting, not that she wouldn’t still be waiting on the stakeout but at least she wouldn’t be here and-</p>
<p>“AH!” The shout is distant, and very clearly Cisco. She and Frost exchange a look of raised eyebrows and silent questions, and then they put down their mugs and hurry down the hall.</p>
<p>They don’t run, Frost doesn’t seem worried enough for that and Sara will follow her lead here. They pass by Cisco’s workshop and that room is empty, so they keep going until the cortex and then they see Cisco is in the med room with Nate and Zari.</p>
<p>Who are standing on opposite sides of the room.</p>
<p>With their clothes and hair suspiciously rumpled.</p>
<p>The realization is dawning over Sara as Cisco whirls around with a crazed look of <em>“are you freaking kidding me?!” </em>in his eyes. The look actually sends a chill throughout her, though that could be Frost next to her looking like she’s prepped to cool down the entire room.</p>
<p>After a moment of the five of them staring at each other Cisco finally decides he has had enough, that or this whole thing is just too weird, and he brushes between her and Frost, muttering a “they need a talk” under his breath that is definitely directed at her.</p>
<p>She eyes Nate and Zari has he leaves. They’re still standing on opposite sides of the room and only looking at each other from the very corners of their eyes. That being said she can see the beginnings of a smirk on Zari’s lips, and judging by the glimmer in Nate’s eyes she’s sure he’ll follow.</p>
<p>Nope.</p>
<p>Nope, that’s it. Of all the things she’s been worried about with the possibility of this spell becoming permanent she is not about to add two of her kids boning each other and potentially a real teen pregnancy to the mix.</p>
<p>She sends them a hard glare and then turns her attention to Frost.</p>
<p>“Think you can give us a ride to Keystone?”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Barry does not want to know what is going on when after hours of him and Ralph staking out the house in Keystone Frost pulls up with Sara in her passenger seat and teenage Nate and Zari in the back.</p>
<p>Ok, let him amend that. He does, especially when they park directly behind the van and Sara stomps out of the car, slamming the door behind her, but one look at the scowl on her face is enough to make him reconsider.</p>
<p>In any case, Sara is already halfway across the street and that take precedence over asking why.</p>
<p>“Sara! Hey Sara!” He calls, scrambling out of the van and hurrying to get ahead of her fast as he can without using his speed.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She returns, but she doesn’t look at him. Her eyes are locked on the house ahead of them and she marches on despite his obvious efforts to stop her.</p>
<p>“Sara what are you doing?”</p>
<p>“What’s it look like I’m doing?” She bites back, “I’m getting my team back.”</p>
<p>“Whoa Sara!” Staggering to stay ahead of her he puts his hands on her shoulders, and that at least stops her for a second, the only second he is going to get. “I know your team needs to find Morgan sooner and not later, but Ralph and I haven’t seen anything to suggest she’s in there. This is probably just some guy’s house.”</p>
<p>“Then this will be over quick.” She says, and pushes past him.</p>
<p>At this point he can either stand in the middle of the street and gape at her walking up the front steps of the house or he can follow her. He decides on the latter, and not just because an incoming car forces him to jump one way and not the other. By the time he catches her she’s already knocking loudly on the door, and fine, whatever. Either this guy will be sweating bullets or he’ll be genuinely confused as to why more people are here looking for a woman named Morgan. Fine. At least they’ll be able to finally get out of here.</p>
<p>When the door opens the man standing there is probably the definition of average. He’s average height, not too scrawny but not too built with muscle either. He’s dressed in jeans and a plain grey t-shirt. He has dark auburn colored hair that’s swooped mostly to one side and a slight five o’clock shadow.</p>
<p>And he sighs.</p>
<p>“Oh bullocks-”</p>
<p>He’s prevented from saying anything more than that, because Sara punches him square in the face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There are references to 2020 here but without the pandemic. I started this story back at the beginning of April when we still weren't sure how long the pandemic was going to last... so it just didn't happen here. Happy(ish) times!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vaguely Rip is aware that the groaning sound he’s hearing is coming from him. He is also aware the searing pain that seems to be encircling him is very real, and physical.</p>
<p>He’s alive.</p>
<p>His next groan comes out more as a whimper and he rolls onto his side. He stays there for a moment; his eyes closed tight and tears brimming on their edges. He isn’t sure if it’s safe right now to be laying and suffering like this but he’ll take the chance. Just for a second. He needs to breathe. So he does, in and out, until he’s completely certain he is actually breathing and not just hallucinating as much in his final moments.</p>
<p>Ok, time to get up.</p>
<p>With a strained groan Rip rolls himself onto his stomach. Then on trembling arms he starts to push himself up. His whole body feels like it’s made of lead, and as he rises up onto his hands and his knees he coughs and tastes liquid copper on his tongue. Blood.</p>
<p>He coughs some more, and as he manages to blink his eyes open his vision is fuzzy but he sees the dark outline of blood spattering before him. It’s very dark, as in the surface he’s spitting onto is dark. Dark and cold. Freezing, actually.</p>
<p>It’s freezing and rough under his hands. Stone, concrete. Yes, concrete. He looks around, his breathing labored, heavy, and intermittently interrupted by a heavy cough. When his eyes eventually start to adjust he can make out lines on the walls around him. Cracks. Piles of rubble as well, and some pillars that look like they have seen better days.</p>
<p>He sighs when he realizes he knows very well where he is; The Vanishing Point.</p>
<p>He scowls, 0.00001% chance of survival, and not only does he survive but he gets launched to The Vanishing Point.</p>
<p>In the words of a certain former bane of his existence: peachy.</p>
<p>He staggers to his feet, stumbling until he reaches a wall to brace himself against. He coughs up some more blood, until his throat is left with nothing but a searing pain to match the rest of him.</p>
<p>“Ugh...” He gasps oh so eloquently, and he wipes a hand across his mouth as he straightens up.</p>
<p>He decides to have a look around, make sure no one else is lurking around these corridors. It only partially surprises him when he’s limped across half the grounds and turned up nothing. It would be his luck to find someone squatting here who wants him dead.</p>
<p>He limps through maybe another few chambers until he decides there is most likely no one here aiming a target at him, and more urgently he needs medical attention.</p>
<p>Well, medical supplies at least.</p>
<p>Fortunately he knows his way around this place enough to know where the Time Master’s quarters were located, along with their supplies. Walking through there is nerve-wracking to say the least. He keeps one hand on his pistol; the other pressed against a wound on his front he is assuming came from holding the time drive so close to himself. He lets out a very relieved sigh when he reaches the storage room and finds a small first-aid kit. He knows he won’t be finding anything extensively helpful here, the Time Masters trusted in the med-bay’s of their ships fully. That being said, they were still human, and it is so hard for human’s to have total undying faith in anything.</p>
<p>He’s learned that lesson a few times.</p>
<p>He grunts, struggling a bit with the action of shrugging off his jacket and then undoing the buttons of his shirt is even worse. The skin of his chest is raw, blistered and red. Yep, definitely from the time drive. Still, it could have been far worse.</p>
<p>The tiny tube of antiseptic is almost laughable, but even so he uses it sparingly, and then takes an equally laughable amount of time attempting to wrap the bandage around himself. Once he has that taken care of his brain starts to think further ahead. He has no desire to stay here, that much he knows. The problem is he isn’t going to be getting anywhere without a time ship, and he’s sure the Time Masters’ supply of those went up in flames thanks to him and the Legends.</p>
<p>But, it never hurts to double check.</p>
<p>Well, unless one would prefer to avoid colossal disappointment.</p>
<p>He sighs, inspecting the loading bay. All the ships are non-operational at best and utterly demolished at worst. Still, it’s something. Parts, maybe he can piece something together enough to transport him somewhere. Anywhere. So long as he can get back into the timeline he’s sure he can find a way to signal either the Legends or the Time Bureau.</p>
<p>He starts inspecting the damage of the ships, cringing whenever he bends the wrong way and the searing pain flares up on his chest. This is going to take awhile.</p>
<p>He works through sorting the pieces, trying to organize what he has to work with that is functional and what is just plain rubbish. Most of it is rubbish, actually, but there are some things he can use. One control panel that he just needs to find wires for, one seat of a chair, a back to another one. After a certain point, however, his chest feels as though it’s on fire and his hands are more soot and grease than they are skin. He needs a break.</p>
<p>Wiping his hands on his coat he decides to see what else is left of the Time Master’s personal quarters. The corridor is far in the back of the Vanishing Point, so it’s more in tact than the rest of the place. There is still plenty of rubble but the rooms are mostly non-collapsed, so much as he hates to admit it this will probably be the best place for him to set up camp for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>He inspects the galley, and oddly enough it looks like it’s been… touched. The refrigerator is empty, and there are wrappers scattered around the floor, something the Time Masters never would have stood for. Perhaps they’re leftover from when the Legion of Doom was holed up here.</p>
<p>Oh and there’s no telling what else they touched, or if they left behind any surprises.</p>
<p>After picking up the wrappers he decides to poke around some more, make sure the Legion didn’t leave behind any sort of bombs or alarms or other traps; one can never be too careful when time travel is involved.</p>
<p>His search takes him out of the Time Masters’ quarters and into the areas of the Vanishing Point that where used more for training and watching over the timeline. Close to The Oculus, and that’s when he stops.</p>
<p>There’s a small chamber just off of the corridor to the wellspring. It’s no bigger than a small closet, but he remembers watching Druce go in and out of it, and only Druce.</p>
<p>And now, Druce isn’t here.</p>
<p>He holds his breath as he pushes the door open, needing to shove with his shoulder a little because it’s been displaced since The Oculus explosion. Inside he finds a console, and nothing else. Dust kicks up around his feet as he walks in, and when he taps a finger against the screen of the console a new screen projects to life before his eyes. It’s flickering, damaged, but that works to his advantage because it makes overriding security all the easier. He’s into the system in record time, Gideon would be proud.</p>
<p>There are files on all the Time Masters; including him.</p>
<p>Actually, there is a very lengthy file on him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Alias: Rip Hunter</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Name: Michael</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Origin: Whitechapel England, 1890.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Recruited: Five-months of age.</em>
</p>
<p>Huh, he never knew that.</p>
<p>There’s more, mostly records of his time spent at the refuge and then the Time Master Academy. There are plenty of incident reports, a filing of his firing from the Time Masters and recruitment of the Legends. And… links to files on Miranda and Jonas as well.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know why he allows himself to follow that trail.</p>
<p>
  <em>Alias: Miranda Coburn</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Name: Sabrina Kinslow</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Origin: Tampa Bay Florida, United States, 1991.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Recruited: Three-months of age.</em>
</p>
<p>He scoffs, recruited indeed. Sometimes he wonders how many of his fellow Time Masters were really “rescued” as they were always told, and how many of them were simply kidnapped for the purposes of filling the ranks.</p>
<p>The information on Miranda isn’t much different than his. Her time at the refuge and academy. Her departure, their marriage. The only real difference is one word written at the bottom that makes his gut twist.</p>
<p>
  <em>Status: Terminated.</em>
</p>
<p>Terminated indeed.</p>
<p>He should stop there, but curiosity gets the better of him and he clicks the link into Jonas’s file.</p>
<p>It’s exceptionally shorter, probably because Jonas was not a Time Master nor in recruitment to become one. That being said, his stomach churns over itself inside of him when he reads the file. It’s only two notes.</p>
<p>
  <em>Name: Jonas Hunter</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Status: Relocated.</em>
</p>
<p>He gapes at the screen, watching it flicker every few seconds but the word never changes.</p>
<p>
  <em>Relocated.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Miranda Coburn: Terminated.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jonas Hunter: Relocated.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Relocated.</em>
</p>
<p>No it… It has to be a mistake of some sort. Relocated. He… Jonas…. Vandal Savage killed him. He saw the body. Time and time again he held his son’s lifeless body in his arms and cried, until, until…</p>
<p>Until he couldn’t bear to go back anymore.</p>
<p>He would simply check the timeline; the timeline he now knows was being controlled by the Time Masters.</p>
<p>The next few weeks for him can only be summed up as maddening. He barely sleeps, and he doesn’t eat. Being at the Vanishing Point he doesn’t necessarily need to, and it isn’t like there’s much food left anyway. His time is consumed by building a vessel to get out of here as well as combing through every record he can find in Druce’s chamber. There needs to be something, some record of what they did with Jonas.</p>
<p>He manages to find a note at some point; a memo that when he committed himself solely to hunting Savage, some time before he recruited the Legends, the consul worried he might actually succeed in stopping their plans. They amended their course of action. They used The Oculus to prevent him from returning to London to check on Miranda and Jonas, orchestrating his checking the timeline through Gideon instead. Then they had Savage spare Jonas and hand him over to them.</p>
<p>Relocated.</p>
<p>Its days later, but he finds a scrap of the location hidden away in a file: Central City, 2020.</p>
<p>Ok, he can work with that.</p>
<p>His ship - if it can even be called that - takes a few more days to get in working order. It’s less of a ship and more of a sphere with a chair inside that’s held together with more duct tape than the controls, which is really quite impressive in his opinion. But, several burns later, he has a functioning time drive installed and that’s the important part.</p>
<p>He secures himself into the seat and punches in a date. He decides to go for April, as he can’t be sure what month the Time Master’s left Jonas in, but giving the year a few months to get started seems like a good idea.</p>
<p>It’s a miracle he gets into the time stream, green and yellow swirling around him quickly, too quickly. The sphere is still shaking, more and more, and the green and yellow outside the glass shield starts to blur together, pieces chipping away. He tries to shout but a sudden wind rolling through the sphere carries his voice away.</p>
<p>Bullocks.</p>
<p>The green and yellow blurs of the time stream suddenly fade out and give way to a blue sky, and an image of treetops fast approaching. He is fast approaching.</p>
<p>“GAH!!!” His scream finally pierces his ears, and he closes his eyes tight as his machine tears through pine needles and branches, and then plows into the ground.</p>
<p>“Ugh…” He groans picking himself up from the crash, and sighing as he looks around.</p>
<p>Like the time ships he built it from, his vessel is completely and totally demolished, because why not?</p>
<p>He kicks at the side of the control panel that is still partially standing, and that falls over to. He does his best to keep from groaning out loud and ends up more whining. This forest certainly doesn’t look anything like Central City in 2020, and why would it? Why would he actually get where he is trying to go? Why, why on Earth would he be allowed half a chance at finding his son?</p>
<p>“AHHH!!!!” He lets out a scream; he doesn’t care. No one is around to hear him anyway. So he lets out another scream, and then another, until he is in the middle of what can only be described as a temper tantrum.</p>
<p>At some point during that he ends up skidding down his pile of rubble, and that’s when he notices that he’s been wrong.</p>
<p>There is somebody here.</p>
<p>Not far, poking her head out from behind one of the trees his entrance managed to not destroy, is a young woman. She has dark hair and green eyes shimmering with curiosity. She’s also wearing a cloak, hooded and made of a fine material.</p>
<p>He’s definitely far off from 2020.</p>
<p>He sighs, and through heavy breaths he gathers himself.</p>
<p>“I don’t suppose you could tell me where I am?” He eventually asks, not in the mood to attempt testing his cloaking mechanism, she’s already seen the wreckage anyway.</p>
<p>At first she ducks back behind her tree, and he sighs again.</p>
<p>“It’s alright.” He calls over, “I won’t hurt you.”</p>
<p>She still hesitates a moment, but eventually she comes out.</p>
<p>“You’re outside of the city.” She answers, her voice stronger than he might have expected. Another thing about her voice is it’s like his, an English accent.</p>
<p>“And what city might that be?” He asks, and before answering she looks behind her, as if making sure they’re alone.</p>
<p>“Camelot.”</p>
<p>Camelot, of course, why not?</p>
<p>He snickers to himself, laughing at how the universe mocks him.</p>
<p>“Are you a time traveler?”</p>
<p>His grin falls from his face.</p>
<p>He eyes her, and she’s watching him expectantly.</p>
<p>“Where would you get an idea like that?”</p>
<p>She grins, a small laugh escaping her lips as she gestures behind him.</p>
<p>“Your ship.” She says, “It’s not exactly from around here.”</p>
<p>He sighs, fair enough.</p>
<p>“My mentor,” she stops, seeming to think about her words. “My former mentor, she was once a time traveler. It’s alright.”</p>
<p>He furrows his brow, “And who is your former mentor?”</p>
<p>She smiles, “Merlin.” She says, “My name is Morgan. Morgan Le Fay.”</p>
<p>It takes him more than a moment to process that. Morgan Le Fay, Merlin, Camelot. Sure, as a former Time Master he knows magic exists, but he did always assume Camelot was either a myth or at most a village with an exaggerated reputation. But, if Merlin was a time traveler, then he isn’t going to make any other assumptions.</p>
<p>He glances back at the wreckage, and a thought crosses his mind.</p>
<p>A very stupid thought.</p>
<p>“You’re a student of magic?” He asks, though he knows the answer.</p>
<p>Judging by the way she inclines her head, he’s going to bet she’s aware of that.</p>
<p>“I was.” She says, “I left Merlin. We had a… A difference in agendas.”</p>
<p>He nods, finally approaching her.</p>
<p>“Yes.” He says, deciding to forgo any beating around the bush, for both their sakes. “If I’m remembering the story correctly you wanted rule over Camelot, while Merlin supported Arthur’s reign.”</p>
<p>“Judging by that statement I assume I never get it?”</p>
<p>He shakes his head, eyeing the wreckage.</p>
<p>“No.” He confirms, “But the stories are, well, thought to be just that; stories.”</p>
<p>Yes, this is a truly awful idea brewing in his mind, one that could backfire immeasurably.</p>
<p>Perhaps he was right in what he said to Gideon when he took the time drive; he’s finally learned to think like a Legend.</p>
<p>Somehow, that both frightens and invigorates him.</p>
<p>“You still practice magic?” He asks, and she nods. “If I were to fix my ship, do you think you could help me find someone?”</p>
<p>She inclines her head, her expression considering.</p>
<p>“Would there be something in it for me?”</p>
<p>“I’d have a time machine.” He reminds her, “Interfering in events for which you were present poses far too many risks, so stopping Arthur’s assumption of the throne is a no. But if there is one talent I have its persuasion. You come to the future with me, help me find my son, and I’ll bring you back here with not only the means to challenge Arthur, but I’ll help you amass the followers to support your reign.”</p>
<p>She seems more serious about considering his offer now, taking a promising step towards the rubble of his crash.</p>
<p>“People skills are a weak point of mine.” She admits, “Or so Merlin’s always said.” She eyes him, “How do I know you won’t go back on your word? I don’t even know your name.”</p>
<p>“The name’s Rip Hunter.” He introduces, “And I assure you, I have paid the price for going back on my word plenty of times before. My son’s life is <em>not</em> something I am willing to wager against those consequences.”</p>
<p>He holds out a hand then, watching her.</p>
<p>She smirks, satisfied, and accepts his offered hand.</p>
<p>“A father really would do anything for his son.” She comments.</p>
<p>Rip is well aware in the moment that he will be regretting this at some point, but that is a problem for another time. All that matters right now is fixing his machine and getting to Jonas.</p>
<p>With Morgan’s help, fixing the time sphere - as he’s come to call it - doesn’t take more than a few days. The landing this time is much easier than the last, and at the correct date too. He secures a safe house easily enough, something Morgan seems mildly impressed with. She is less enthused, however, when they start going through her range of locator spells.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure I like the idea of luring children into my grasp.” She voices after the home inspector has left, leaving her with a fresh certification for the in-home daycare.</p>
<p>“Well when you say it like that it sounds evil.” He comments, “But you’ve said it yourself, no harm will come to the children.”</p>
<p>“No.” She agrees with a shake of her head. “They’ll be dreaming, having vivid adventures of themselves in whatever far away lands they can think of. They’ll have no idea I’m tracing the paths of their memories.”</p>
<p>Rips nods. All they need is one child who has crossed paths with Jonas, that’s it. From there they can find him. He can find him.</p>
<p>Why can none of his plans ever go, well, as planned?<br/>

In hindsight, he probably should’ve known from the start that he would end up here; pinned to the wall of his second safe house with his nose throbbing and his eyes staring into the furious gaze of Sara Lance.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This is far from the first time Leonard and Mick have sat across a shitty kitchen table staring down one another. Hell, this is far from the first time they’ve sat across <em>this</em> shitty kitchen table staring down one another. After Sara left he’d called Lisa to come take John, Charlie, and Behrad. He gave her a quick run down of what Nelson’s conclusion had been regarding his messed up little family here, and while she had been processing that he’d put a fifty in her hands and told her “I don’t care what you do with the three of them, just keep them alive and away from here until I call.”</p>
<p>She’d said something about seeing what’s playing at the movies, he hadn’t really been listening.</p>
<p>He’d been too busy worrying about how this was going to go down.</p>
<p>They haven’t gotten to the shouting part yet. They’ve argued a bit, traded insults, and now they’re at the waiting each other out portion. Soon one of two things will happen; either he’ll futilely try reasoning with Mick, or Mick will futilely try to leave. Either way it will usher in the shouting and cursing portion of the argument, and that normally ends in punches being thrown but much as he would like to he can’t beat Mick up while he’s trapped in the body of a teenager so something is-</p>
<p>The front door bursts open and gains both their attention.</p>
<p>They get up, eyes locked on the entryway and as they approach Leonard has no idea why he’s surprised. Sara has marched through the door first and behind her she’s dragging along a man in jeans and simple t-shirt shirt, he had probably been trying to blend in.</p>
<p>He didn’t do a good job.</p>
<p>Nate and Zari file in behind the two of them and take care of the door, and when Rip double takes upon seeing him Leonard holds his gaze.</p>
<p>“Mr. Snart?” He asks, “I thought you were dead.”</p>
<p>“Heard the same about you.”</p>
<p>His former captain glowers at him, but he doesn’t make any further comment, and then Sara shoves him forward.</p>
<p>“Kitchen, now.” She demands, her voice in full captain mode. That being said, when Hunter his stomping into the kitchen and she looks to him her eyes are much more concerned.</p>
<p>“Where are the kids?”</p>
<p>Ah, right.</p>
<p>“With Lisa.” He promises, then looks past her to Zari. “Including Behrad.”</p>
<p>With a nod Sara also turns to the three teenagers crammed in the hall with them.</p>
<p>Well, Nate and Zari are behind them; Mick is awkwardly pressed to the side like he’s trying to sneak out.</p>
<p>“You three go upstairs.” She orders and, perhaps predictably, Mick crosses his arms.</p>
<p>“We can hear whatever that-”</p>
<p>“Now.” Sara firmly orders, “We’ll come get you when we have a plan.”</p>
<p>They don’t look happy about it, Mick in particular, but the three of them trudge upstairs like half decent listeners and Len supposes they can’t ask for more than that.</p>
<p>He meets Sara’s eyes once they’re gone and she looks so tired, so over all of this, and he has a feeling it’s just getting started.</p>
<p>They walk into the kitchen and find Rip helping himself to leftover pizza in the fridge.</p>
<p>“That payback for all the drinks we stole from you?” Leonard snarks, not that Rip pays him much mind.</p>
<p>“Where’s Morgan?” Sara demands, “And why have you stooped to kidnapping children?”</p>
<p>“I told you, Captain Lance.” Rip sighs, leaning onto his elbows on the counter and putting the pizza aside. “I have reason to believe that Jonas is alive and that he’s in this time period, in this city. Morgan is helping me locate him.”</p>
<p>“Not getting the kidnapping children part.” Len drawls, trying to figure out how he feels about the possibility that Rip’s son might be alive; trying to figure out how desperate he is. “Or the turning our team into them part.”</p>
<p>Rip sighs, “I was sorry to hear about that from Morgan. But you never should have been here-”</p>
<p>“We shouldn’t have been saving kidnapped children?” Sara challenges, and again Rip sighs, and he won’t meet her eyes.</p>
<p>Big mistake, as usual Rip.</p>
<p>“We’ve been chasing magical creatures the past two years.” She informs him, not yet chewing him out but if there is anything Leonard knows about her it’s that she knows how to coordinate a precision attack. “Our detectors picked up unusual traces of magic in 2020, led us to Morgan.”</p>
<p>Sara is staring him down; sooner or later Rip is going to have to say something.</p>
<p>“Morgan isn’t the best magical help I could’ve found.” He finally admits, and then at last he meets Sara’s eyes. “But she’s all I’ve got.”</p>
<p>Sara, like Leonard himself, is not impressed.</p>
<p>“After I left The Vanishing Point my time sphere crashed just outside of Camelot, Morgan was nearby. We made a deal; she would help me find Jonas and in turn I would help her take reign of Camelot from King Arthur.”</p>
<p>“Rip!” Sara exclaims, tipping her head and bracing her hands on the counter. Leonard sighs too, of all the stupid things Hunter has ever done.</p>
<p>Well, actually, this probably isn’t the stupidest.</p>
<p>“What choice did I have Sara?” Rip snaps, “My son might be alive! You have no idea what it’s like to have a child who has been ripped away from you!”</p>
<p>“You want to bet?” Sara snaps back, “My entire team has been turned into children, children who suck at behaving. So now I’m on the verge of losing at least one of them to social services.”</p>
<p>She takes a menacing step around the counter, towards Hunter, who is glowering.</p>
<p>“I am sorry to hear that.” Rip bites out, “I know the Legends are like family to you. But they’re <em>like</em> family, Sara. They are not your blood.”</p>
<p>Len freezes for a second, his mind unable to process what his ears have just heard. Sara seems to have much the same response, staring at Rip like a deer caught in the headlights as she tried to say something to that.</p>
<p>“So do you want to talk about my sister?” She finally asks in a low, warning voice. “Or my dad? Or Oliver? Because they’re dead Rip. All of them.”</p>
<p>Rip is silent, but as his brain kicks up again Len knows that won’t last. True to prediction his former captain’s face eventually sets, and his eyes harden.</p>
<p>Oh, bad move.</p>
<p>“Then you should know, Miss Lance, how important it is that I do everything possible to find Jonas.”</p>
<p>Oh, really bad move.</p>
<p>This time when Sara steps closer to Rip Len takes a half step forward, just in case she tries to kill him. Murder on the same day as a social services visit won’t look good if the body’s found.</p>
<p>Not that it would be, but he’d rather have more time to plan for that sort of thing and less at stake.</p>
<p>“Where’s Morgan?” Sara hisses, her fists curling into the fabric of Rip’s shirt and knocking him back against the counter. He looks terrified, as he should.</p>
<p>It’s when he starts choking on air that Leonard starts to get nervous.</p>
<p>“Where is she?” Sara demands again. “She wasn’t at your house, where is she?”</p>
<p>“She… She went to return the boy.”</p>
<p>“Jason.” He supplies, and Rip glances to him. “His name is Jason.”</p>
<p>“Jason.” Rip corrects, though not without a roll of his eyes. “She went to return Jason to his home, with the use of the time sphere. Soon no one will ever remember he was missing in the first place.”</p>
<p>“You let her use your time machine unsupervised?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. That’s a terrible idea even by Hunter’s standards.</p>
<p>“It has a temporal tracker.” Rip defends as Sara eases off him, though not significantly. She lets go of his shirt and gives him enough space so he isn’t pressed directly into the counter, but no more.</p>
<p>Rip sighs as he brushes himself off. “Morgan knows she can’t overthrow Arthur without help, she’s tried and failed. She can’t fit more than two people in the time sphere at once, so going and looking for someone else to help her would be useless.”</p>
<p>Leonard snorts, “Clearly she hasn’t seen your track record with success” He comments and Rip glares at him, so obviously he glares right back. “When are you planning on double crossing her?”</p>
<p>Rip’s glare falters, though he still looks very indignant.</p>
<p>“After finding Jonas.”</p>
<p>A part of Leonard actually feels bad for Morgan, and judging by the scowl on Sara’s face he’s willing to bet she does too.</p>
<p>Rip seems well aware of the two of them not approving of his actions, per usual, so he huffs and fixes them with his best ‘I know what I’m doing’ look, as if that’s convincing at all.</p>
<p>“She said she found a boy in Jason’s recent memories who resembled Jonas. When she returns we’re-”</p>
<p>“You’re what?” Sara interrupts, “You’re going after him?”</p>
<p>Rip gives her an unimpressed look.</p>
<p>“He’s my son, Sara.”</p>
<p>“And he’s been here for how long?” She demands, “Because my team has been kids for a little over two weeks and time drift has ahold of them pretty good.”</p>
<p>“You’re team is also suffering the traumatic side effects of being hit by magic.”</p>
<p>“Yes, thank you for that.” Leonard says and now Rip rolls his eyes to him. He looks like he might be considering defending himself, but then instead he turns back to Sara.</p>
<p>“I suppose I should ask now, are you planning to stop me?”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nate is sitting on the edge of his mattress, doing his very best to bite his tongue. Zari is sitting in the center of the floor of his and Mick’s shared room with her eyes closed and her legs crossed. Mick is pacing, periodically kicking the wall or his air mattress.</p>
<p>“Rory, can you cut that out?” Zari growls when Mick’s mattress bounces off and back onto the floor after his latest kick.</p>
<p>“If you want to sleep, go to your room.” Mick growls, and he continues to pace.</p>
<p>Zari rolls her eyes and looks over at him for backup, backup that he isn’t exactly eager to give.</p>
<p>“Why are you trying so hard to go back?” He asks, “I know you’re worried about Zari, but you’ve only been here a few hours.”</p>
<p>“And I have no idea what happened to her.” She informs him, “If we’re operating like Caitlin and Frost, then yeah, a few hours out in the world would be nice. But I have to know.”</p>
<p>He sighs, he knows she’s right, but it’s because he knows she’s right that he’s so scared. Without knowing where the current Zari is…</p>
<p>He sighs, he doesn’t want to think about that, but he’s going to have to.</p>
<p>“The totem’s gone.” He reminds her, “Do you even know where you’re trying to get back to?”</p>
<p>He sees the fear flit through her eyes, and her shoulders deflate. It’s right then that Mick lands a harsh punch against the wall and they both look over to him, but he’s just scowling like he has been this entire time.</p>
<p>“What’s eating you?” Nate asks, “The usual or…?”</p>
<p>“Usual.” Mick scoffs, like the word is a sick joke. “What usual? We’ve been turned into rugrats!”</p>
<p>“We’re fifteen.” He drawls, “At least we’re not John and Charlie. Or Behrad.”</p>
<p>Mick snorts, clearly unamused.</p>
<p>“Yeah, cause our lives didn’t get ruined with this whole thing.” He scoffs, “Everything we ever worked for we might not even remember in a week, and it’s all cause of the damn Englishmen!”</p>
<p>Nate frowns, and he can’t help but to notice Zari doing the same before she seems to shake herself out of it.</p>
<p>“He’s looking for his son.” She informs Mick, and that halts his pacing footsteps.</p>
<p>Rip had told them, Frost, and Sara, during the <em>very </em>tense drive back here, about his motives and where he’s been since the time drive exploded in that field with Mallus.</p>
<p>So Zari gives Mick a quick recap, and when it’s done Mick snorts.</p>
<p>“Great.” He says, “So we’re stuck like this.”</p>
<p>“We are not stuck like this.” He insists, and Mick actually smiles with his next scoff.</p>
<p>“Cute, but you idiots weren’t on the team when he was running things. Englishman only looks out for himself.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Nate asks doubtfully, “Because I remember him sacrificing his life to save all of us and all of time.”</p>
<p>“Course he did.” Mick scoffs, “Asshole’s got a hero complex ten miles long, which is exactly why he’s gonna double cross the witch, and she ain’t gonna turn us back after that.”</p>
<p>Nate exchanges a nervous look with Zari. Mick might have a point with that. He was there to see the brainwashed version of Rip Hunter who worked with the Legion of Doom, but more damning than that they’ve both heard about some ‘bad calls’ he made on the original mission. Sara’s never kept it a secret that Rip was the first to tell her she couldn’t save her sister, and Ray told him once about a terrible plan to kill a pre-teen boy. Plus the very existence of the Time Bureau and when he effectively fired the Legends, not to mention his original stealing of the Waverider and abandoning of the Time Masters after his wife and son were killed.</p>
<p>Or, so he thought.</p>
<p>Suddenly Mick gives the wall another harsh kick accompanied by a growl.</p>
<p>“Ok!” Nate shouts, trying to get some control over this. “So maybe we are stuck like this.”</p>
<p>Both Zari and Mick look at him like he has just said the unthinkable, and maybe he has, but on some level they’ve all been bracing for it.</p>
<p>“Is that really so bad?” He asks, “None of us exactly had anything going for us. That’s why we became Legends in the first place, our lives all sucked. Maybe… Maybe this is a second chance.” He sighs, “Is it really the worst thing that could’ve happened?”</p>
<p>The room is silent following his words, both Zari and Mick with their eyes downcast and very pointedly avoiding his. Eventually Mick leans himself against the wall and folds his arms over.</p>
<p>“They’re gonna take me away.”</p>
<p>He murmurs the words, but Nate knows he’s heard them. Still, he wishes he hadn’t, he <em>prays</em> he hadn’t, and him and Zari snap their attention to Mick.</p>
<p>“I burned a kid alive.” He explains, “He lived but…” He shrugs, “The guy told Sara and Snart they should send me away, treatment facility. If they don’t things are gonna get messy. It’ll be hard for Sara and Snart to hold onto the rest of you…”</p>
<p>He pauses, his eyes lingering on Zari.</p>
<p>“He said if I stay, there’s a good chance they’re taking Behrad.”</p>
<p>Up until now Nate didn’t think it was possible for the tension in this room to get higher, but there it is. He looks to Zari, who looks like she wants to either start sobbing or punch someone. He’s seen that look before once or twice; it’s always dangerous.</p>
<p>True to expectation she rises up off the floor after a minute with him and Mick still watching her.</p>
<p>“Let’s go.” She commands it more than she says it. She marches past both him and Mick, to the door, and opens it.</p>
<p>“Where are we going?” He asks, “We don’t know where Morgan is.”</p>
<p>“She’ll be looking for Rip.” She says, “We’re not letting him out of our sights.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>By now Sara’s poured the whiskey, a glass for her and Leonard and nothing for Rip. Maybe she’ll give him something later, if she doesn’t smash the bottle over his head first.</p>
<p>He’s in the middle of trying to convince them that kidnapping this kid Morgan saw in Jason’s memories is the only way to determine whether or not he’s his son, and she is running dangerously low on patience, when speaking of kids a chorus of footsteps comes descending down the stairs and into the kitchen.</p>
<p>“I told you guys.” She says, interrupting Rip mid ridiculous sentence as the teenagers arrive. “We will tell you when we-”</p>
<p>“Have a plan.” Zari finishes for her. “Yeah, you said. But we’re running out of time. So we can figure out his son later, right now we need Morgan to turn us back.”</p>
<p>She glares at Rip, hard, and Sara doesn’t miss Leonard smirking.</p>
<p>She smirks a little herself.</p>
<p>“Can she find you here?” Zari asks, and Rip looks positively offended.</p>
<p>“Somehow I doubt she was counting on my former teammates kidnapping me while she was gone.”</p>
<p>“Karma’s a bitch.” Len murmurs into his glass, and this time Sara does fully snicker, barely concealing it behind her own drink.</p>
<p>Zari merely tilts her head.</p>
<p>“Then either get ahold of her, or camp is being moved to your house.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lisa can’t help the wide smile on her face, even if her feet hurt and Shawna ditched her to run a job.</p>
<p><em>“Someone needs to make some money if you’re going to keep playing auntie like this.” </em>She had teased with a wink that was almost dirty, and a scratch between her cat’s ears of course, before she’d left the apartment.</p>
<p>A part of her knows she shouldn’t be finding this fun. She knows that Lenny’s team absolutely should not be stuck as kids forever. That would be horrible, but…</p>
<p>But Adventure Land is a staple of childhood for kids in Central and Keystone city; and it’s a staple she and Lenny never got. Hell would’ve frozen over and Lewis would’ve gone to therapy before taking his children to a theme park, and their grandfather could never scrape together enough extra cash for day passes. The passes <em>were </em>a little pricey, but Shawna is out pulling a job, and Lenny did give her a fifty, so Lisa’s letting that go.</p>
<p>Besides, watching John and Charlie run from one kiddie ride to another like actual children high on sugar and adrenaline is more than enough to justify it in her mind.</p>
<p>She’s pushing Behrad along in a stroller, though by now he’s starting to fuss, a lot, and so as John and Charlie come bounding out the exit of the carousel she meets them just outside the fence.</p>
<p>“I need to take Behrad into the bathroom and change him. Does either of you have to go?”</p>
<p>“Now…” Charlie trails, shaking her head in sync with John, and Lisa is going to assume she didn’t mean to add that “W’ to her answer.</p>
<p>Lisa looks around, doing her best to ignore Behrad’s wails from the stroller as she weighs the pros and cons of leaving John and Charlie to their next ride vs dragging them into the bathroom against their tiny protests.</p>
<p>There are many cons to that second option.</p>
<p>She keeps looking around, though now she is trying to assure herself. The bathroom is only twenty feet away, and the line is short when compared to the lines for the kids’ rides. Besides there are plenty of parents watching their own kids, which means more than enough witnesses if god forbid something were to happen.</p>
<p>“Stay together.” She orders, kneeling down to their level. “Where are you going next?”</p>
<p>She should’ve predicted them pointing in opposite directions.</p>
<p>“Deacaups.” Charlie says, while John’s finger is extended out towards a jungle themed rollercoaster.</p>
<p>Lisa eyes both the attractions, and notes the roller coaster is significantly closer.</p>
<p>“John’s pick.” She decides, and before Charlie can get one fully formed sort-of-word out of her mouth Lisa meets her eyes. “It’s closer to the bathroom. You can go on the teacups next.”</p>
<p>Charlie rolls her eyes, tips her head back, and groans very dramatically. But she trudges after John as he happily pulls her along to the roller coaster. Lisa allows herself a little smirk before she straightens up again and turns with Behrad towards the bathroom.</p>
<p>As she joins the line for the bathroom she surveys the area of the park out ahead of her, her eyes migrating to the line for the roller coaster where John and Charlie are just outside the fence at the end and being joined by a little boy with dirty blonde hair and a big smile on his face. She watches as he and Charlie start to talk while John actually appears happy to listen, and then she takes her turn to enter the bathroom.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“John! Charlie!”</p>
<p>They’ve just joined the line for the dumb roller coaster when Charlie hears their names being shouted. She turns her head just in time to see Logan from school running over and suddenly how much she doesn’t want to get on this ride is forgotten.</p>
<p>“Lowghan!” She calls back, just as he slows to a jog and reaches them.</p>
<p>“What are you guys doing here?”</p>
<p>“We’re wit dour aunh.”</p>
<p>Logan nods along, accepting Charlie’s answer, meanwhile John is hastily scribbling out something on the little notepad he keeps in his pocket for when they’re not at home and he can’t simply point at whatever he needs, or he has something to say that is longer than just wanting something.</p>
<p>When he turns the notebook out to Logan the other boy reads the words aloud, stumbling a little.</p>
<p>“Our brother got… got in trouble.” He reads, “What he do?”</p>
<p>This time John makes a symbol with his hand. BSL, Charlie knows a little and she’s sure that’s the only reason he’s bothering at all.</p>
<p>“He stais fiar.” She translates, “He sarded a fiar an a kit guh buarn.”</p>
<p>Logan looks at her, not really confused but like he’s thinking. That’s the look a lot of the other kids give her and John. She doesn’t like it, at all, but she’s getting used to it. Mom and dad look them like that when they try to communicate, and so do Zari, Nate, and Mick. Auntie Lisa too, and her friend Shawna. Shawna really looks confused any time either of them tries to say anything and it makes Auntie Lisa laugh. Ms. Parris told her not to take it personally. After she finished yelling at Jason after the fight she kept Charlie, even though she’d already yelled at her, but instead of yelling more she’d told Charlie a lot of kids have trouble talking and a lot of the time they get help so that they can grow out of it quicker. She was supposed to have talked to mom and dad about getting her help. But then Mick set that kid on fire, and they moved again, and…</p>
<p>“The kid got burned?” Logan asks, interrupting her train of thought, but that’s ok. He knows what she said, so she nods. “Is he ok?”</p>
<p>“Yeahh.” She answers and Logan smiles.</p>
<p>“Cool. Hey, what’s it like with a big brother anyway? Our house is getting another placement and I think he’s older than me.”</p>
<p>Charlie smiles, and so does John as he starts writing something down. At first Logan had seemed kind of like a jerk, since her first meeting with him was when he was poking Rachel for no reason. But he’s turned out to actually be pretty nice, and apparently him and Rachel are friends. They used to live in the same foster home when they were little, but now Rachel lives with her mom. She likes Logan, he gets what it’s like to not know where you come from.</p>
<p>While she’s thinking John finishes what he’s writing and hands over the notebook.</p>
<p>“Brothers are jerks. Sisters too.” Logan reads aloud, and so Charlie narrows her eyes and shoves John none-too-lightly into the fence.</p>
<p>Logan laughs, but he doesn’t look like he still might be scared of getting a new big brother.</p>
<p>“Somb are nice.” She says, still giving John a bit of a glare. “Aur brodter Nate dis nice.”</p>
<p>She keeps telling him about their siblings as the three of them slowly move through the line, him listening and every few words nodding. John gives her some glares and writes down a few words as well. By the time they get on the roller coaster she’s almost forgotten how scared she was to get on it.</p>
<p>Not that she’ll ever tell John she was scared in the first place.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Morgan frowns, standing against the brick wall of some stairs at the local amusement park as she keeps her phone pressed to her ear and waits out the second ring.</p>
<p>She’d just missed a call from him, there should be an answer.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Rip’s voice comes over the line. He sounds annoyed, but he so often does.</p>
<p>“I’ve spotted him.” She reports, “But there’s a problem.”</p>
<p>He sighs on the other end, heavily. “Isn’t there always?”</p>
<p>“Two of your former teammates are with him. The two I turned into children, I’m not sure who they’re here with.”</p>
<p>Rip sighs once again. “Right. Speaking of my former teammates…”</p>
<p>Oh, she doesn’t like the way he trails off with that.</p>
<p>“What?” she asks, watching as the three children board the small roller coaster a few meters away.</p>
<p>“It’s a long story, but I’m sure you can guess how it ends.”</p>
<p>She sets her mouth in a firm line.</p>
<p>“They’ve found you?”</p>
<p>She can almost picture him nodding reluctantly on the other end of the phone.</p>
<p>“Where are you? We’ll be there to meet you. Keep your eye on Jonas but don’t engage unless-”</p>
<p>“Morgan, don’t engage at all.” A new, feminine, and very deadly voice suddenly cuts him off. It startles her, making her heart jump in her chest. “If you want to trail him, fine. But if you do anything to put my teammates in danger so help me you won’t live to take Camelot from Arthur.”</p>
<p>She grits her teeth, and curls the hand that isn’t holding her phone into a fist.</p>
<p>“I’m sure you’ve realized by now, Captain Lance, that you need me in order to free your team from their current predicament. So don’t give me orders.”</p>
<p>She hangs up then, doesn’t give Lance an opportunity to threaten her any further. She supposes that also prevents Rip from weighing in but she doubts he has much to say. He knows where she stands with him. She plays by his rules, she gets her shot at Arthur.</p>
<p>She watches as the roller coaster comes back into its loading bay and the group of pint-sized riders begin to file out the exit. She has her sights perfectly trained on the one she needs to keep track of.</p>
<p>She will not be giving up that chance at Camelot.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sara growls when Morgan hangs up the phone but isn’t exactly a surprise. A part of her knew threatening Morgan was not the way to go, so her compromise was to keep her tone even. They’re so close, she isn’t about to let this get any worse.</p>
<p>“Can I have my phone back?” Rip asks, and the sigh Sara emits would probably better be classified as a growl.</p>
<p>Len has already texted Cisco to see if they can borrow the S.T.A.R. Labs van, and their very generous friend has agreed to drive it over under the conditions that, one, he comes along and, two, nobody so much as thinks about having sex in it.</p>
<p>When he showed Sara that message, he’d had an eyebrow raised and she’d simply shot a look over to Nate and Zari and promised to tell him later.</p>
<p>He hadn’t looked too eager to hear that story.</p>
<p>She glares at Rip and drops his phone back into his hands, then pointedly looks past him to Leonard.</p>
<p>“Where was Lisa taking them?” She asks and he shrugs, but before she can press for him to call her Rip speaks up.</p>
<p>“They’re at Adventure Land Park.” He says, waving his phone up for the two of them to see a text from Morgan.</p>
<p>Sara nods, and turns back to Leonard, who pulls out his phone without being prompted.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Rip questions, not that Len bothers to look up.</p>
<p>“Texting Lisa.” He answers, “Telling her what’s going on.”</p>
<p>Rip glowers, but at least he doesn’t try justifying himself or Morgan. Progress, Sara supposes.</p>
<p>Speaking of progress – or maybe a lack thereof - she looks deeper into the kitchen to where the three teenage members of their team are standing in a partial huddle by the table, watching the adults.</p>
<p>She sets her sights on Nate first.</p>
<p>“Can you still steel up?”</p>
<p>He pales, his eyes going wide.</p>
<p>“I uh… I don’t know.” He stammers, “I haven’t tried… But if the totem’s gone then…”</p>
<p>She nods, the chances are low, then, and she can see by the look on his face and the fidgeting of his hands that he doesn’t exactly want to test it out here with everyone staring at him.</p>
<p>So, she moves onto Mick.</p>
<p>“Get your gun.” She instructs, and he huffs.</p>
<p>“Back on the ship.”</p>
<p>“Are you kidding?”</p>
<p>He shakes his head. “It got us in enough trouble already.”</p>
<p>Of course, just when she thought she could count on a teen Mick to be completely reckless.</p>
<p>“We’re still going.” Zari insists after a beat, crossing her arms and squaring her shoulders. Sometimes Sara wonders what the chances were that two vastly different versions of her in two vastly different timelines both came out so unwaveringly stubborn.</p>
<p>She nods all the same.</p>
<p>“You are.” She promises, “Something tells me we won’t get another chance at this.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Morgan is stalking a kid with Charlie and John, try and stay close. We’re on our way.”</em>
</p>
<p>Lenny’s text doesn’t sit well with Lisa, and she can’t help but think that if anyone else got a text from their brother saying the kids they were watching along with one of their friends were being stalked by a witch they would get the kids the hell out of there. Unfortunately for her she isn’t anyone else and the kids she is in charge of actually need to come in contact with this witch.</p>
<p>Keeping them with the little boy Morgan is supposedly stalking should be easy enough, considering all three of them come bounding over to her after the ride and Charlie excitedly introduces her to him.</p>
<p>“Aunhy Lisha!” Charlie exclaims as the three kids come running over. “Thias ish Lowghan!”</p>
<p>Lisa forces a smile and crouches down to be at eye-level with the kids, one hand remaining firm on the handle of Behrad’s cheap rented stroller.</p>
<p>“Hi Logan.” She says, and as she looks past him she sees a woman coming near them at a brisk pace but with an amused smile on her lips.</p>
<p>At first Lisa tenses, and even starts to stand up, ready to step in front of the three kids and do what she isn’t sure, but then she realizes this woman probably isn’t Morgan. More likely she’s Logan’s mother who saw two other children drag her son off in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>Assuming the two aren’t one in the same.</p>
<p>The woman coming towards them is older, about Lenny’s age. She has shoulder-length auburn hair and fair skin. She doesn’t look much like Logan, but not what Lisa would picture when imagining a witch either.</p>
<p>Then again, hide in plain sight.</p>
<p>“Logan.” The woman beckons as she gets closer. “Come on.”</p>
<p>“Coming Rita!” Logan calls happily over his shoulder before turning back to John and Charlie. “Bye!”</p>
<p>He runs off then, and Lisa watches as he takes the woman’s hand and the two turn off in the other direction to join a man in a white t-shirt with a red hat. A part of her wants to call Lenny, ask if he knows what she should be looking for exactly. At the very least he’s fought Morgan before, he would know what she looks like.</p>
<p>But she also has no idea what is happening on his end right now or how Sara and Zari’s lead turned out that it somehow led to the conclusion that Morgan is here.</p>
<p>She swallows the lump in her throat. The best she can do, is as she’s told.</p>
<p>“Come on.” She says, straightening up fully. “Why don’t we head over that way too?”</p>
<p>“Baud ta deacaups!” Charlie nearly cries as she points over in the other direction to the ride Lisa had promised they could do next.</p>
<p>Lisa sighs. She’s pretty sure at this point Charlie and John have both lost any and all memory of the mission and the fact that they’re supposed to be adults, so she can’t exactly tell Charlie they don’t have time to go on the teacups right now because they need to trail a witch who is trailing their friend.</p>
<p>Their friend… Now that gives her an idea.</p>
<p>“This section is on our way back.” She says, “Why don’t we go that way and you guys can do a few rides with Logan, and we’ll hit the teacups on the way back when the line is shorter?”</p>
<p>She throws that last part about the line in for good measure, but Charlie lights up at the suggestion of an impromptu playdate, and even John looks cautiously excited about the idea.</p>
<p>“Oway!” Charlie shouts in excitement, and Lisa chuckles to herself as the little girl starts skipping off after Logan.</p>
<p>“Wait up!” She calls with a laugh after Charlie, and now John, as she pivots Behrad’s stroller smoothly as she can manage and hurries after them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sitting in the back of the S.T.A.R. Labs van is awkward, and that’s putting it lightly. Hunter is up in the passenger seat while Cisco drives, so Leonard is here in the back with Nate and sitting on the ground against the wall. They’re holding on to the bulge of the tire well every time the road turns a little rough to keep from falling over. Across from them and sitting on a hastily installed bench is Sara alongside Mick and Zari.</p>
<p>It’s painfully quiet, with none of them making eye-contact; not even Zari and Nate. Len can’t help but wonder the story behind that, if it’s just because of whatever happened at S.T.A.R. Labs and Cisco’s warning, or if it’s more about Morgan and what happens if they don’t win today.</p>
<p>He’s trying not to think about that.</p>
<p>Behrad, John, and Charlie, they’re all fully regressed and he doesn’t need Gideon to tell him that. Zari, Nate, and Mick? They still know what’s happening, but it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that won’t be the case for long. If they’re lucky the teenagers might have another week before they forget who they are completely. His eyes wander to Sara, with her eyes trained pointedly on a dent in the floor and away from him. His mind poses the question – not for the first time – what do they do if that happens?</p>
<p>If they’re stuck like this.</p>
<p>They had started to talk about it last night but they were interrupted, as is always said to be the case when you’re living in a house full of children. Still, they’d had time to come to one agreement; they’re their team, but that doesn’t mean he and Sara are qualified to raise them from square one.</p>
<p>Hell, they’re barely managing to hold onto them as it is.</p>
<p>Nelson made himself very clear; in light of Mick’s decision to commit arson it would be in everyone’s best interest that he be sent to an in-patient treatment facility, at least temporarily. If they choose not to send him then they’re signing on for bi-weekly visits by Nelson to ensure they can handle Mick’s issues themselves, and they can’t leave him alone with any of the other kids. Then to make matters worse Zari is on the paperwork as Behrad’s mother and sticking to that story, which means they can and will investigate her as a capable parent. Being fifteen and living with a possibly unstable arsonist, unable to willingly and securely remove herself from the situation? Nelson had warned she won’t stand much of a chance.</p>
<p>Forgetting about the individual problems some of his teammates have leads him back to Sara, and their start of a talk the other night. Ok, so they’ve talked and he’ll say reconciled. He’s stopped taking out his anger over having missed the last four years on her, and she’s made it clear that she never forgot him. Great, that’s definitely an improvement from where their relationship was before this curse. But there is still so much he has that he wants to say to her.</p>
<p>He wants to tell her he loves her. He wants to tell her he thought he loved her four years ago, and that he knows he loves her now. He wants to tell her he still wants to see about that future with her. But what he doesn’t want is for that future to be an act, a cover story, another mission. He never wants to have her if it means wondering if he truly has her, or if she’s only with him because it was the path of least resistance. Not to mention if they can’t fix this whole thing and are actually stuck parenting the team for the rest of their lives. If things between the two of them don’t work out what are they supposed to do? Split up custody of their friends? They’ve already tried begrudgingly coexisting and doesn’t work for them.</p>
<p>He’s been lost in his thoughts, but the van hitting a pothole stirs him out of it and he notices that at some point Sara has looked over to him. He meets her eyes, and he thinks maybe she’s been pondering the same what if’s he has. A part of that gives him hope, but it doesn’t totally assuage his fears.</p>
<p>“Ok.” Cisco announces as they make another turn. “We’re here.”</p>
<p>The van is still moving, though much slower. They must be in the parking lot, and for five people who haven’t been able to look at one another in half an hour the group in the back is suddenly three sets of eyes on him and Sara, and the two of them looking to each other.</p>
<p>Len sends Lisa a text to let her know they’ve arrived and to ask where she is. She texts him back a few minutes later, right after their group has gotten through the front gate and Cisco is plunging into a rant about how admission prices went up since last year and he knew he should’ve renewed his season pass. Leonard rolls his eyes and fishes his phone from his back pocket.</p>
<p>
  <em>“In the old west area, think I see her following us but can’t be sure.”</em>
</p>
<p>He tilts his screen so Sara can see the message, and she nods.</p>
<p>“Cisco.” She says, cutting off his complaints and self-loathing. “Which way to the old west area?”</p>
<p>Cisco stops and looks out ahead, like he’s running along the pathways in his head, until he finally points off to the left.</p>
<p>“That way.” He says, “We can cut through the gift shop.”</p>
<p>“You would know the layout of this place.” Len comments as they follow his lead ahead.</p>
<p>Cisco glares back at him but doesn’t come to his own defense.</p>
<p>They move through the park quickly, weaving through families and groups of teenagers walking around with giant stuffed animals and tackey plastic souvenir cups. A part of Leonard admires Lisa for taking Charlie, John, and Behrad here. He wouldn’t have had the patience for this, not on his own. But the excitement of an amusement park isn’t something they got to experience as kids, and he doubts John and Charlie had it the first time around. Maybe all this time suffering the effects of Morgan’s spell won’t be a total loss for them. As if that’s a bright side.</p>
<p>They’ve just crossed into the territory of the old west themed kiddie area of the park when he sees Lisa. She’s sitting on a bench with Behrad in her lap, his stroller next to them. There’s also a woman next to her, but it isn’t Morgan. He remembers Morgan from the initial mission at her first safe house. This woman is older, and before he can give much thought to her he hears Hunter’s breath hitch and he follows the idiot’s gaze. He’s looking where children are lined up inside the confines of a rope fence. The line isn’t long, and he’s quick to spot Charlie and John, as well as a little boy with shaggy hair. He’s seen that boy in a picture once or twice.</p>
<p>Well, at least Rip’s stupid team up with a desperate witch hasn’t been for nothing.</p>
<p>Before anyone can say anything Charlie catches sight of their group and breaks into a huge smile, standing on her toes and waving frantically. Inwardly Leonard’s heart sinks, as if he needed proof Charlie’s fallen completely to the cover, she’s just blown it. Not far from the line he sees a young woman in a dark green hoodie turn her head to look and see what suddenly as a little girl so excited.</p>
<p>Morgan.</p>
<p>Next to him Sara tenses, as do their teenage teammates. In the distance he sees Lisa turn stiff too, and he meets her eyes with a look that silently tells her to stay put. She obeys, but he can see the way her arms tighten a fraction around Behrad.</p>
<p>“Rip.” Len turns at Sara’s hushed command. Next to her Rip has his own eyes locked on the kid with Charlie and John; Jonas.</p>
<p>He’d looked at them, looked to see who Charlie was waving that, and then easily turned back around and begun talking to John.</p>
<p>Morgan is coming towards them now, having looked around and moving fast enough to get to them quickly, but not so fast as to draw suspicion.</p>
<p>“Let me guess.” She nearly growls as she approaches, eyeing the teenagers before she looks to him and Sara. “You want me to change them back?”</p>
<p>“Perceptive.” He mocks and she hums.</p>
<p>“Fine.” She says, but Len knows when something is too good to be true. “But if I fix your team, you walk away.”</p>
<p>Ah, there it is.</p>
<p>“I no longer concern you. I’ll fix your team, and you go on your way.”</p>
<p>“You know we can’t do that.” Sara says in a warning voice, but Morgan meets her eyes with challenge.</p>
<p>“You’re going to have to.” She says, her eyes wandering from them to the teenagers, over to the kids stepping into a cart for small a pioneer wagon themed Farris Wheel, to Lisa and Behrad, and then back to Sara. “If you don’t, this is your reality.”</p>
<p>The two of them stare each other down for a long moment, each waiting for the other to yield.</p>
<p>Leonard knows Rip isn’t the wisest man when it comes to practical thinking, but he can’t possibly be stupid enough to think Sara is going to give into Morgan, right?</p>
<p>He doesn’t want to wait around and find out.</p>
<p>“Hunter.” He barks softly, and when Rip looks at him he cocks his head over to the side. “A word?”</p>
<p>Rip obliges, rather begrudgingly, and Len leads them far enough away from their group that they’re out of earshot.</p>
<p>“Yes, Mr. Snart?” Hunter sneers, and Len allows himself to glance back over to the Ferris Wheel, his eyes finding the cart with John, Charlie, and Jonas as it makes its way up the side.</p>
<p>“He didn’t react to you.” He observes, and Hunter furrows his brow.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Jonas.” Leonard specifies. “He didn’t react to you. He looked at us to see who Charlie was waving to and he didn’t give any indication he knew who you were.”</p>
<p>For a moment he watches as Hunter’s confidence shakes. He sees his whole body tense, and his eyes soften before a fire is re-lit.</p>
<p>“Of course he didn’t.” Hunter’s voice is a touch too high, like he knows whatever he is about to say is a lie to both Leonard and himself. “I engrained into him that if the Time Masters ever got to him-”</p>
<p>“It’s time drift, Rip.” He cuts him off, and bluntly at that. “You know what that’s like. How powerful it is, and he’s a kid.”</p>
<p>Rip fidgets in his spot, bouncing once and then twice on his heels as he looks around the park, and Leonard finds that he might actually feel sorry for his old Captain.</p>
<p>He also finds himself looking back to the Ferris Wheel again, and he sighs.</p>
<p>“These last few weeks, I have had to think like a parent a lot more than I ever thought I would. If I have learned anything doing that it’s that doing the right thing for your kid almost never means doing the easy thing.”</p>
<p>Rip scoffs at him. “You realize those children are not actually children, let alone yours.”</p>
<p>“Tell that to their brain scans.” Len scowls, folding his arms. “Or the social worker waiting for Sara and me to make a decision about sending Mick away.”</p>
<p>Rip sets his jaw, but at least he holds eye contact this time. Still, he doesn’t say anything, and Len has had enough arguments with Rip Hunter by now to know when there is no talking to him and he is just going to have to hope he’ll see reason.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I believe there is only one chapter left to this story!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Leonard turns back around Sara is walking over towards Lisa with Cisco and the teenagers, and Morgan is still standing where he’d left her. He’s debating between joining Sara or going over and dragging Morgan along so they don’t lose her, when he sees that Charlie, John, and Jonas have finished their ride and while John his heading over towards the rest of their group with Jonas Charlie is skipping happily to him.</p>
<p>“Daudy!” She cheers as she bounds over, and he knows he’ll be spending a lot of time processing that later, but for now she isn’t slowing down and after what happened the other night he isn’t about to make her feel bad about wherever her mind is.</p>
<p>He bends down and scoops her up as she reaches him. He tries his best not to look at Hunter, because while Charlie may not actually be his daughter he’s sure this is just rubbing salt in the wound. Jonas didn’t come over here. Jonas went over there, to a man and a woman whom Leonard has never seen before.</p>
<p>When he does look at Hunter – who is looking mostly past him and to Jonas – he simply nods, and then he turns for Sara, Lisa and Cisco, and the rest of their strange little family.</p>
<p>Sara sees him coming, Lisa too, but while is sister hastily turns away to handle some sort of squabble between Nate and John that Cisco is failing to settle, Sara gives him a look. It’s a question and a concern, and so he just inclines his head and she nods in return, an agreement to talk about it later. Charlie, at least, allows him to put her down when they reach the others and no sooner have her feet hit the ground she and John are running off again towards Jonas, or whoever he is to them.</p>
<p>“You and Rip talking about that?” Sara asks, her eyes still very much on the children disappearing into the line for the next ride; some giant spinning barrels.</p>
<p>He looks over his shoulder, back at Rip who is approaching Morgan, and he sighs as he slowly turns his head back.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He says, “Where’d you leave off?”</p>
<p>She huffs, “I walked away.” Her admission is mostly made up of a growl. “Called Ray. Asked him to come get the Waverider, go get Merlin, maybe she can get through to Morgan.”</p>
<p>He nods, glances back to where Rip and Morgan now seem to be in a hushed argument with occasional stolen glances both at them as well as at Jonas and the adults he’s just left.</p>
<p>Len sighs, unease settling into the pit of his stomach. He is well aware that calling Raymond is very much a last-ditch effort. They don’t have anything Morgan wants, aside maybe from them out of her way. But she seems confident enough in herself that she probably thinks she can deal with them later. Besides, even if they did promise to stay out of her hair there’s nothing to stop them from going back on their word, and he gets the feeling that once her whole thing with Rip falls through she won’t be very forgiving.</p>
<p>An unbidden thought crosses his mind with that, and he shivers. If she decides to take revenge on Hunter by de-ageing him, he and Sara are dropping him off at a fire station or something. They are not taking on another child Legend.</p>
<p>Speaking of child Legends.</p>
<p>He looks at the teenagers. Zari’s got Behrad now, and that’s enough for her. Nate and Mick look bored, and a part of him wants to tell them to just go hit up some of the bigger rides and be teenagers, while another part of him wants to continue refraining from encouraging this spell’s regression any further.</p>
<p>That first part of him wonders what is even the point?</p>
<p>He looks to Sara and she’s looking at their group too, as is Lisa. They’re at a standstill, and that does it. He’s about to give in, this is their life now. But, as fate would have it, before he can open his mouth-</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>POP</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>That can’t be good.</p>
<p>He turns, and about twenty feet behind them there is a smoldering spot of pavement where he swears a trashcan stood earlier. Next to that is Morgan with a very pissed off look in her eyes, and Hunter glaring at her.</p>
<p>“I should’ve known not to take you at your word.” He hears Morgan growl, and he is inclined to agree, but that’s irrelevant.</p>
<p>“Morgan-”</p>
<p>She fires another blast of magic at Hunter that he dodges, and instead it hits a tree which promptly vanishes. They’re attracting a small crowd of onlookers, probably trying to decide if this is some sort of impromptu sideshow or something more serious. Sara steps to his side, and he is about to ask her if they should get involved when Morgan sends another magic blast at Hunter but something must intercept it because all of a sudden there is a spark of nothingness mid-air. Morgan turns her hands over as if they’re what’s betrayed her, but all becomes clear when he sees Nora come marching out from around the corner.</p>
<p>Which means Raymond and Merlin can’t be far.</p>
<p>“I’ll get John and Charlie.” Sara informs him, and then she’s gone, off to pull their two young friends out of the line for their next ride, which will undoubtedly result in tears but hopefully those will go away once they’re back to normal.</p>
<p>If he dares to hope for that.</p>
<p>He, in turn, hurries towards Morgan, Nora, and Hunter, with the others coming up beside him. Nora nods to them, and though she’s not wearing the puffy dress at the moment she produces her fairy godmother wand from her boot and holds it at the ready.</p>
<p>“It’s over Morgan.” She informs their adversary in a steady voice. “You’re outnumbered. Just turn the Legends back to normal, don’t make this worse on yourself.”</p>
<p>Morgan scoffs, her head held high, hands behind her back.</p>
<p>“I’m supposed to be afraid of you?” She questions, and Nora narrows her gaze.</p>
<p>“No.” A new voice answers, and Merlin steps out from behind a lemonade cart, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with her hair pulled back and hands at the ready for a fight.</p>
<p>This time it’s Morgan who narrows her eyes.</p>
<p>“You.” She sneers at Merlin. “You have no control of me anymore.”</p>
<p>Merlin quirks her brow upwards, and there’s something about the look in her eye; she doesn’t intend to make Morgan do anything.</p>
<p>Morgan spreads her arms to the side, her hard gaze only leaving Merlin for a moment long enough to glance around at the rest of them – along with the gathered bystanders – and determine that she can’t win here and now. She opens her mouth, and Len can’t totally explain what happens next, but before she can utter a word a very heavy air falls over the scene. It sends a chill up his spine, almost feels like the time stream did. Everything around him frozen.</p>
<p>He looks around, turning his head slowly. Everything is frozen. The rollercoasters, the obnoxious theme park music that had been giving him a headache, the child dropping an ice cream cone not far away… It’s all frozen.</p>
<p>“What the…” Mick trails off next to him. He isn’t frozen. Neither is Lisa, or Nora. Behrad is still whirling his tiny head this way and that, and in the distance he can still hear a high pitched cry.</p>
<p>He turns, Sara is stalking forward with John haphazardly slung over her shoulder and kicking at her ribs. Charlie’s wrist is seized in her hand as the little girl cries over being dragged away from the fun of the day.</p>
<p>“Morgan le Fay.” A deep booming voice suddenly rings out, and Len looks back to Morgan, and he is met by the sight of a figure in a dark blue suit with a shining gold helmet that masks his entire face stepping forward from seemingly nowhere.</p>
<p>And Raymond trailing awkwardly behind him.</p>
<p>The mystery man walks right up to Morgan, and she almost falls over looking up at him. He just stands there for a second, staring her down.</p>
<p>“I know who you are.” The man informs her, and Len could swear he can see her swallow in fear. “You are capable of great power, but you squander it acting like an insolent child. No more.” He growls at her, “You <em>will</em>reverse the effects of your magic on these people, and then you will accept your punishment.”</p>
<p>This time her gulp is audible, and her voice is a whisper when she speaks. “Please Nabu-”</p>
<p>“Now.” The man – Nabu – demands of her in a growl, and she nods meekly.</p>
<p>First, she sets her sights on John, who is now held sideways against Sara’s side and still punching and kicking at her.</p>
<p>“Kaeps.” She commands through a shaking voice, and immediately Charlie’s cries are joined by another childish voice, and then the two children shut up faster than Leonard would’ve thought possible.</p>
<p>Well, not completely. They’re hiccupping and sniffling but Sara is able to put John down and he and Charlie do nothing more than stare at each other in shock.</p>
<p>It’s enough to make Len smirk, and as the two kids turn to Sara presumably to ask what’s happening Morgan gets to the bigger part of all this.</p>
<p>“Erew enco uoy tahw ot nruter.”</p>
<p>A wave of magic goes out with that, extending to the end of the group of them. It blinds him, but when that clears after a second or two Mick standing next to him is suddenly back to his burly self. Nate too, he’s no longer a scrawny teenager. Behrad is now standing next to Zari and taller than her by a few inches, though he looks a bit ridiculous in an adult sized version of an infant’s outfit with a cartoon tiger on the chest. Zari, though her changes are the most subtle, they’re there and the totem has reappeared on her wrist and a certain sparkle is back in her eyes. He looks behind him and John and Charlie are back too.</p>
<p>“Yes!” Charlie exclaims, and as she does her face gets even brighter. “Finally! I can bloody talk again!”</p>
<p>“Tell me about it.” John comments in relief, grinning himself.</p>
<p>Leonard snickers, Sara does too, and she looks every bit as relieved as the rest of them and something… something twinges in his chest.</p>
<p>The team is back to normal, which is good. Great. It’s great, as they most certainly did not have this whole “happy family” cover under control.</p>
<p>That being said… it wasn’t all bad.</p>
<p>Turning back to the scene of Morgan and Nabu Leonard watches as Nabu steps even more into Morgan’s space than he already is.</p>
<p>“Please great Nabu…” Morgan trails, her voice wet with frightened tears, and for a moment Len wonders if they should be worried Raymond’s just shown up with a bigger problem.</p>
<p>Nabu extends out a hand towards her, doesn’t speak a word, and within an instant a golden light overtakes Morgan, and when it’s gone Morgan is too.</p>
<p>Or, at least, the Morgan they know.</p>
<p>In her place is a squirming baby.</p>
<p>“Do better, Morgan.” Nabu says like more of a suggestion than a command, and Len gets the feeling he doesn’t <em>suggest</em> things very often.</p>
<p>Merlin steps forward, then, and gathers baby Morgan up.</p>
<p>“I can trust you to find a place for her?” Nabu asks and Merlin nods, adjusting her hold so Morgan is secure on her hip.</p>
<p>“I’ll bring her back to Camelot.” She says, “She’ll have no reason to rival Arthur now.”</p>
<p>Nabu hums, like he might not be entirely convinced, but he turns and with a wave of his hand he opens a portal to somewhere. He’s gone in an instant, and the world resumes around them.</p>
<p>For a moment they just stand there, all of them looking around at each other.</p>
<p>“Who was that?” Sara is the first to ask, approaching Merlin.</p>
<p>“Doctor Fate.” Merlin answers, “Nabu. He’s a Lord of Order, one of the most powerful beings in the universe. He needs a familiar to manifest his powers in our world and, well, his human tether is an old friend. Owed me a favor.”</p>
<p>There is a lot to sort through with that answer, but instead of attempting Leonard is just going to close his eyes and accept it.</p>
<p>“Right…” Behrad drawls, yanking Len from his thoughts, he hadn’t realized just how long it’s been since he’d last heard that voice. “Well, if we’re done here, I’m gonna head to the gift shop and get some real clothes.”</p>
<p>Next to her brother Zari smirks and pulls out her wallet.</p>
<p>“Here.” She says, handing Behrad some cash. “I left your wallet back on the ship.”</p>
<p>Len chuckles and Sara fully laughs as he accepts the money and hastily leaves them.</p>
<p>“You need a ride home?” Sara asks Merlin, and she simply shrugs.</p>
<p>“No rush.” She says, “Camelot can manage without me for a day, and I don’t think this one will be too much trouble right now.” She glances to Morgan in her arms, “I’ll wait until you all are ready, so long as I’m in the future I’d like to get some ice cream. I’ve missed it.”</p>
<p>He snickers, and he supposes that is more than fair.</p>
<p>“Here.” Lisa says, pushing Behrad’s stroller forward for Merlin to take.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Merlin says, smiling.</p>
<p>While she’s settling Morgan into the stroller Len turns to Sara.</p>
<p>“What do you think?” He asks, “Shore leave while we’re here?”</p>
<p>She smirks back up at him, and then out at the rest of the group.</p>
<p>“Alright, you kids know the rules: don’t get arrested, and we’re leaving by sundown.”</p>
<p>Somewhere behind him he hears Nate snort. “We’re adults again, and we still have a curfew.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>After sundown they return to the house to grab a few things, after bringing Merlin and Morgan back to Camelot of course. As they walk down the street Sara is still reveling in the sounds of the team behind her, half of them anyway. Zari and Behrad had stayed back on the ship and Mick went to see Lita and let her know they’re all back to their old selves. But John and Charlie are behind her, laughing as the regale to Nate the stories of their adventures in second grade and taunt each other. Next to her Leonard is walking with his eyes set firmly ahead but a small smile on his face. She almost wants to frown. She’s happy the team is back to normal and they can go back to their lives, she really is, but she can’t help but remember where she and Leonard were before all this.</p>
<p>She knows they won’t go back to fighting, they’ve hashed all that out for good. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t easier to be close when they were “parenting.”</p>
<p>As they turn the corner of the street and come closer to the house she notices Leonard’s little grin start to slip, his pace slowing until he’s stopped. She stops alongside him and a weight sinks in her chest as her own smile gives way to a frown. Her eyes settle on the old man standing on the front steps, his expression stoic.</p>
<p>Nelson.</p>
<p>Next to her Leonard swallows, and Nelson makes his way down to the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“You know…” He drawls as he comes closer. “It isn’t polite to keep an old man waiting.”</p>
<p>Sara has only ever scene Leonard speechless twice before. The first was after he was caught up on everything he’d missed in the time he’d been lost in the time stream, and the second was in the first minute or so after Nelson showed up at the front door this morning. Twice in one day is certainly not something she would’ve ever thought she’d see, but in his defense this has been a hell of a day.</p>
<p>“We thought you weren’t coming back until Monday.” She eventually manages to splutter out, and Nelson lifts his eyebrows in amusement as he looks at her.</p>
<p>“Keeping you on your toes is part of the job Ms. Lance.”</p>
<p>She blinks, and next to her Len goes stiff and narrows his eyes.</p>
<p>Nelson, who suddenly looks very pleased with himself, claps his hands together.</p>
<p>“Now, I trust you can take care of removing your false records yourselves. I’ll take care of any lingering suspicions as best I can, but piece of advice? You might want to give it some time if you ever plan on coming back here for real. People remember.”</p>
<p>There’s a beat of silence among them before Leonard finally finds his words and breaks it.</p>
<p>“You’re Doctor Fate.” He says, doesn’t ask, and Nelson shrugs.</p>
<p>“In a manner of speaking.” He says, “Doctor Fate is more of a partnership between Nabu and I. It’s a little like your friend Firestorm.”</p>
<p>Now it’s Sara’s turn to go stiff, and behind her she can vaguely hear Nate geeking out in a hushed voice.</p>
<p>“So you time travel?” Len asks, and Nelson snickers at that.</p>
<p>“No kid, that’s your game. But I have lived a long, eventful life. I was a founding member of the JSA you know.”</p>
<p>Leonard narrows his eyes, and this time as he’s smirking Nelson steps a little closer.</p>
<p>“Don’t look so sour, kid. Every once in a while something’s gonna blindside you. Given what I’ve seen today it seems you should know that by now.”</p>
<p>He claps Len on the shoulder with that, while Leonard’s posture doesn’t change Sara notices his expression softens a tiny bit.</p>
<p>“When Lisa and I were kids, did you know…” He trails off, seemingly unsure how to ask.</p>
<p>Nelson, thankfully, gets the gist and laughs.</p>
<p>“Nabu has a lot of power, but seeing the future isn’t in his skillset, which between you and me annoys the crap out of him.” He laughs, “No, I didn’t know you and your sister would grow up to be heroes. But I’ve learned fate can have quite a sense of humor when it wants to.”</p>
<p>He reclaims his hand then, and looks around at all of them.</p>
<p>“Good luck to all of you, I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”</p>
<p>As he walks off into the night Sara can’t help stealing a glance at Leonard and snickering to herself.</p>
<p>Knowing their team, she’s sure Nelson’s right.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p>Zari looks up, they’re still waiting for the rest of the team to return. After they left for the house she and Behrad decided to stay behind and check the timeline, make sure there’s no records of Morgan taking over Camelot. So far so good. So they’re resettling back into their rooms. When she’d left Behrad in his he was disassembling the crib they’d had to put in for his baby self.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She says, “Crib down?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He says with a nods, “I uh… I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me. I don’t remember anything, really, but I sort of remember that first day or two. Plus Nate told me.”</p>
<p>“Anytime.” Zari says with a soft smile, “I’d forgotten that you were kind of cute as a baby so it wasn’t all bad.”</p>
<p>Behrad snorts, but his smile is a little forced, his laugh breathy, and his eyes avoid hers as he licks his lips and taps the heel of one foot against the other.</p>
<p>“Nate also told me, um, that the other Zari took over for awhile? That the totem disappeared?”</p>
<p>She looks down, at her wrist.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” She trails, and she undoes the clasp on the totem bracelet. She holds it in her hand for a moment, brushing her thumb lightly over the gem as Behrad comes and sits next to her.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t gone.” She confesses, and hands him the totem. “At least, I don’t think I was. It was like I was in a fog. I couldn’t see anything but I could hear everything that was happening.”</p>
<p>He’s watching her carefully, trying to understand what she’s saying. She’s still trying to understand it herself, to be honest.</p>
<p>“I talked to Caitlin about it when we first got back, she said it sounds a lot like what her and Frost go through. She said it was scary for her at first, just being in her head while Frost ‘drives’, but it’s not dangerous.”</p>
<p>Behrad nods, “Good.” He says, his voice distant. Then he shakes himself from it and with a hand on her knee he pushes himself up. “Good to know you were-”</p>
<p>“What if the totem is the problem?” She interrupts, she has to. She barely has the nerve to say it and if she waits another second she is going to lose it.</p>
<p>Behrad looks at her, face contorted in confusion.</p>
<p>But there’s no going back now.</p>
<p>“With Zari.” She specifies. “We thought she couldn’t exist because you died in her timeline. But since Crisis, Sara is from a different timeline than the rest of us. A timeline where her father died, and her sister, yet we spent last Christmas with them and nothing happened.”</p>
<p>“Zari what are you getting at?” Behrad’s voice is almost dismissive, like he’s warning her not to continue.</p>
<p>She understands why. After Zari first went back into the totem they both lost their fair share of sleep feeling guilty, and Behrad particularly might have had a minor breakdown or two trying to find a loophole in time to save her.</p>
<p>But therein lies the problem; he was looking over time, and that might not be where the answer lies.</p>
<p>“I was seeing her memories before I bonded with the totem, and when the totem was gone and she was out here you guys were able to coexist without a problem.”</p>
<p>“We didn’t have you.” He interjects, “Not really, and that’s a problem.”</p>
<p>“One that seems a hell of a lot easier to figure out than this has been.” She nearly snaps, and Behrad doesn’t say anything. Yet his eyes are pleading with her not to go any further down this rabbit hole.</p>
<p>She keeps talking anyway.</p>
<p>“We can figure that out.” She emphasizes, “But after today I think that if we can find a way to sever her bond with the totem, we might be able to save her.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>It’s late by the time they get back. Sara pilots them back into the temporal zone, they check the timeline once more, and then everyone exhaustedly slumps off to their rooms. It’s been close to two hours since they’ve been back and with how tired everyone was Leonard wasn’t exactly expecting anyone to come knocking on his door. That being said when the knock comes he figures it must be Sara. So he opens the door, and it isn’t Sara, but somehow he isn’t surprised to see Charlie standing before him.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He says, stepping back so she can come in. She ducks her head and enters, and if he didn’t know any better he might think she looks nervous.</p>
<p>“Hey.” She echoes, awkwardly turning halfway back to him and avoiding his eyes.</p>
<p>Huh, maybe this is what a nervous Charlie looks like.</p>
<p>“I uh… I just wanted to apologize, if I made you uncomfortable earlier, or in the last couple of days. I uh, well I had basically forgotten everything.”</p>
<p>“It’s ok.” He promises, and wanders deeper into the room, moving himself away from the door so she can leave without having to get by him. He walks past her, stopping once he’s reached his bed and he can lean against the wall by it. “If you don’t mind my asking, do you know why little you got so attached to me and not Sara?” He asks, “You’ve known her longer.”</p>
<p>“I think it was just easier.” She admits with a shrug, “When I was a kid, the first time, neither of my parents was around much, or at all. My sisters were awful but-”</p>
<p>“But they were there.” He finishes for her, and she looks relieved at that. “And it’s easier to fill in a blank slot in your mind than one with two crappy stand-ins already there.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She says, “Anyway, yeah, just sorry.”</p>
<p>He shrugs one shoulder and allows a smirk this time as he pushes himself off the wall.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it. Though <em>I’m </em>sorry you got stuck with me as a stand in for a dad.”</p>
<p>She laughs, real and void of any nerves, and that’s enough to turn his smile genuine.</p>
<p>“You weren’t so bad.” She promises him, a soft earnestness in her eyes. “Really.”</p>
<p>He hums, and allows himself a small duck of his head before he meets her eyes again.</p>
<p>“Thanks, I appreciate that.”</p>
<p>She smiles, “Ok, well I’m gonna go to bed. Night.”</p>
<p>“Night Charlie.”</p>
<p>She leaves him with that, and barely a minute later Sara sidles into the doorway, her eyes fixed down the hall before she shifts her attention to him.</p>
<p>“Aww,” she teases, “Even all grown up she’s still a daddy’s girl.”</p>
<p>He smirks at her comment, though he still sighs as he heads for his dresser and starts pulling out his pajamas.</p>
<p>“You come here in the middle of the night for a reason, Assassin?”</p>
<p>Out of the corner of his eye he sees her shrug, as well as step into his room and close the door behind her.</p>
<p>She’s already dressed for bed, with her hair in a loose braid to keep her hair two days past due for a wash from knotting up any more in her sleep.</p>
<p>“Were you going to sleep?” She asks, and he thinks the question is supposed to be sarcastic, but it falls flat with genuine curiosity.</p>
<p>He discards his pajamas onto the bed and takes a step closer to her.</p>
<p>“Not before coming looking for you.” He admits, “We were talking last night.”</p>
<p>She hums, “We were.” She agrees, and she takes a step closer. “They’re not kids anymore.”</p>
<p>“More or less.” He allows with another half step into her space. She chuckles, and now she has to crane her head to look up at him.</p>
<p>Then, she steps back, just a little bit.</p>
<p>“It’s been four years Len.” She reminds him, her serious tone like a splash of cold water on the moment. “If we’re gonna do this, if we’re gonna do <em>anything</em>, I don’t want to waste any more time.”</p>
<p>He steps forward, this time putting his hands lightly on her waist. The fear in the pit of his stomach turns to hope so quickly he thinks he actually feels his internal organs knotting up trying to make sense of it all.</p>
<p>“Me either.” He promises, and her hands are on his shoulders before he’s finished getting the words out.</p>
<p>Then she’s up on her toes, and he’s holding her tighter, and trying his damndest not to stumble back just yet as her lips collide against his in exactly the way it’s always felt like they belong.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that's a wrap!!!!! I just want to thank everyone so much for sticking with me through this story, even after a long hiatus!!!! It truly means the world to me and I want you guys to know that your amazing comments chapter after chapter have been the backbone of this story from the start. Thank you all, SO much!</p>
<p>On another note: Five years and three fics after I originally used him in my fic How We Help Each Other I FINALLY paid off Kent Nelson as a social worker! I am so happy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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